Image via @_stimvlate / Peysoh/Instagram
Donald Morrison is pitching on three days rest.
Slim400 embodied West Coast gangsta rap. A brash and wise-cracking Compton traditionalist who wore his heart (and affiliations) on his sleeve and escaped death more times than Murder Inc. boss, Dutch Schultz. His luck officially ran out in December 2021, when he was gunned down in the driveway of a home in Inglewood at age 34. He would have turned 37 this week.
At his best, Slim sounded like he could have been one of the show stopping features from Dr. Dre’s 2001 – had he been born a decade earlier earlier. So does Lefty Gunplay, whose recent debut is the best produced West Coast rap album since GNX. “We The One’z” is a posthumous release done so well it almost feels like Slim400 is still breathing. The song opens with a fiery verse from Slim400 that leads into an even better chorus. While Lefty closes the song with one of his most focused features yet – offering more evidence that Lefty is fully committed to restoring and updating the classic gangsta rap template of the late 20th Century.
The story behind the beat for Kendrick Lamar’s “Hey Now,” will go down in infamy. DJ Mustard told the press he made it years ago, and that Quavo and YG originally passed on it. Kendrick saved the whisper-inducing beat from the ash heap for GNX and it quickly became a fan favorite, even being remixed by Tyler The Creator. It’s a shame we never got a mid-aughts-style G-Mix like “I Wanna Rock” or “Black & Yellow.”
“It’s a Go” is like if LA and NorCal rappers linked up to make their own version of “Hey Now.” LA’s Compton Av and Lefty Gunplay team up with The Bay’s legendary D-Lo and Stockton’s Haiti Babii. The result is a Bay Area turn up anthem in the realm of “Sideshow,” and “On Citas,” two hyphy classics that still deserve heavy rotation. Lefty even name drops Keak Da Sneak in his verse.
It’s this type of celebratory collaboration that I imagine Kendirck envisioned post-GNX, where the rambunctious and party-centric nature of Bay Area rap alleviates the self-seriousness of LA gangsta music.
Few benefited more than Peysoh from their inclusion on GNX. Everything the Mexican-American rapper has done since has sounded bigger, louder and finely-tuned – as if it helped Peysoh find his voice. His latest singles have been Bay Area-influenced, bass-heavy, almost frenetic songs that stand out in comparison with almost every other LA rapper at the moment. It’s in-your-face party music that has more in common with some of the faster BPM songs coming from Jersey and New York.
“Same Day Service” is part AZChike and part Mike Sherm. At first glance it’s a turn up song, but listen closely and it’s actually a pointed message to any opp unlucky enough to run into Peysoh. “Doing it for fun, we ain’t looking for no reason, giving it my all, ain’t just thuggin on the weekend, say you was looking for me, but you scared to check the deep end,” he says ominously.
There hasn’t been a TDE rapper this promising since Isaiah Rashad. Ray Vaughn has been unusually visible for a TDE rapper. He posts funny tweets, gets into public feuds and the music he releases doesn’t sound or feel exhaustively pored over.
Then there’s the fact that he has bars, but not just for the sake of barring out; he also has the personality and substance to reward close listening. The 2025 XXL Freshman’s latest video, “Look @ God,” with LaRussell, is a great example. He’s masterful at wordplay without sounding bookish. “We burnered down, burnered down, burnered down, poly tattoos for the whole town, white girl ridin’ shotgun, they love In-N-Out, barbeque grill in my mug shot,” he says with a scarcely contained grin.
London’s J Hus is known for disappearing for years in between releases, and for striking a balance between conscious rap, dancehall beats and UK Drill. His ability to mix multiple sounds to make something new and cohesive is unparalleled. “Gold,” featuring Nigerian singer Asake, is a late contender for song of the summer. “Every ring I’m wearing is gold, they’re calling me Gaddafi,” he says on the chorus.
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