xl

Albeit a positive or negative sentiment, almost every rap song leaves you feeling something. Be that as it may though, amongst all the gangbanging and cash collecting, very few actually leave you feeling optimistic.

That said, a few years ago, when I first saw the title of XL Middleton’s then-current single, “Shotgun,” from his first album Music For A Drunken Evening, I immediately wrote it off as another heat-happy attempt at catching his customary Left-Coast listeners.

Then I actually listened to it, and needless to say, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Instead of boasting about Remington reconciliation like I’d imagined, I was treated to an uncustomary and uplifting ode to the streets from the POV of a caring and open-eyed rapper playing the perceptive passenger.

With assistance from former Dove Shack front man Bo-Rocc and rapping counterpart Rev, the plus-sized Asian emcee/producer from Pasadena touches on every aspect of his area, depicting each intricate detail with a verbal visual aid. Amid applicable talk of poverty and lost firends, among other things, he also manages to point out the oft-forgotten other side the coin, touching on dudes in suits sifting through the classifieds, being the first in your family to graduate college, and riding in beaters that simply get the job done.

So, no matter your walk of life, XL’s words ring true for anyone who’s ever gazed out a car window.

XL Middleton – Shotgun (Feat. Bo-Rocc and Rev)

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