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Pacific Division

You know about Pacific Division the group (see TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Pacific Division, Part I) but now you need to know the individuals to better gauge what makes BeYoung, Mibbs and Like standout in a sea of rappers and radio.

BeYoung is gritty charm. He’s calculated but not self-censored, rough but not lacking in aptitude.

Mibbs exudes ease. His laid-back stride paired with a comfortable, well-thought cadence gives him the air of dependability.

Like is real approachable. He has a direct, fine-tuned, networking sensibility about him — the kind of person who remembers names and makes shit happen.

When I first got to the studio to meet Pac Div, they had a meeting with a young director named Jason about upcoming videos. They went back and forth with Jason, picked apart each scene and idea, and then pitched their own. They were a working democracy and took into consideration each other’s opinion.

“I want to show our lifestyle,” Like said to Jason. “Our lifestyle is pretty laid back for the most part.”

“Yeah,” said BeYoung. “Like we got outside furniture inside our apartment.”

The three emcees discussed how fans would relate to their living conditions — patio furniture in the kitchen, posters on the wall — and why that would make an ideal video. Everything at this stage in the game for Pac Div has to be precise for an exacted outcome.

“The chicks got to be nice though,” said Mibbs.

“Well, that goes without saying,” said Like.

They do have a lot of beautiful women in their videos, don’t they? But it goes beyond just videos. These dudes talk about women — a lot. I’m not mad at them for it though; you get to know any man well enough and he’s going to talk about women — a lot. The guys from Pac Div are just the kind of people that let their feelings be known from the jump. And their feelings are, they like pussy. It’s real talk.

“You’re over there probably writing how misogynistic we are, huh?” asked BeYoung.

“No,” I said. “I’m just keeping it in my head.”

“Misogynistic? Shit, I want to message-some-lipstick!” said Like.

“I want a massage-and-some-Liptons!” said BeYoung. “Ice tea.”

No, I don’t think they’re misogynists. They’re not rude or self-aggrandizing. They just like women – a lot. And as they pointed out in our interview, even the most conscious of rappers want to hang with beautiful women after the show, not dudes with beat CDs.

They said they listen to all the beats people give them, but truth is they already got enough ridiculous joints for two albums — a self-titled EP, and a full-length called Grown Kids Syndrome. You’ve probably already heard some of the stuff coming with the EP — F.A.T. Boys and Women Problems — but Grown Kids is going to blast beyond that.

They played a few joints that were so universal in appeal — for the heads, for the snobs, for the streets, for the clubs. “Grind” is a hype track with dirty horns that hits so hard it’ll screw you’re face up. “Somethin” is a warm-tone vinyl-popper with a classic 2 and 4 beat you’ll want to chill to. “All I want” — a group favorite — has an easy deep bass-line for a life-loving jam that Mibbs called, “Some shit you’d hear on New Years when the confetti drops.”

The standout though, was this joint called “Mayor.”

“This is some L.A. shit,” said Like.

And good Lord was it ever. It’s some hard, Easy-E, sharp snare, boom boom bap, fast tap high-hat, B-boy-stancing, Chuck Taylor-wearing, Lakers-loving, L.A. shit.

When the beat kicked, the three emcees got up at the hook, “I’m so player/ Feeling so good/ I might run for mayor,” and did the smoothest, baddest, hardest stomp around the studio that would make anyone in their right mind wild out and get ignorant.

“That’s the one that’s going to make us blow up,” said Like. And it made me wonder if he could be right.

“I said that with a dead-ass face though, didn’t I?” he said.

Yeah, he did.

Watch out for that shit. It’ll make your head explode… and so will Pac Div. You’d be wise to get up. A year from now all other heads will come around and you’ll have that, “Maaan, I been listening to them,” argument secure in your armory for everyone who slept too long.

To show you what they’re coming with, I put them on the spot and asked them each to spit 16 bars freestyle. But they’re no shrinking violets.

“Does it have to be just 16 bars?” asked Mibbs. “What if I want to keep going?”

“Hey, it’s whatever. Do you,” I said.

Click on the audio player below to hear some of that session. In order of appearance, give a listen to Mibbs, Like, TiRon (Part of their extended Los Angeles fam) and BeYoung as they rhyme free.

Previously Posted — TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Pacific Division, Part I

Pacific Division