dj-drama-young-jeezy

Hip-Hop beefs, friends becoming enemies, crews breaking up. Quite frankly, I’m used to it all. To an extent, it’s almost expected in a genre where making friends is more luck than honor. However, in lieu the recent barrage of words between Young Jeezy and DJ Drama, I must admit this one particularly sucks. I remember in early 2005 I became a fan of both of them at the exact same time: the moment play was pressed on my burned copy of Trap or Die. At that point, I had no clue I would be listening to be one of the most important mixtapes of all time. Actually, it’s pretty safe to say not many knew it would be held in such high regard only four years later.

That’s the beautiful thing about the music. A classic can emerge from (damn near) any artist at any given time. The hardest thing to do is appreciate it at the current moment, but I managed to do so this. Not because I could relate to “selling so much white, it would hurt my eyes”, but because I genuinely appreciated the effort and pride which was found on damn near every track (as well as the other tapes they did together). Whether their true falling out has to deal with Drama’s recent workings with Jeezy’s rival, Gucci Mane, isn’t for me to decide or even ponder. As I mentioned with Alfamega, my only allegiance is towards the music.

That being said, the music they released together was some of the most entertaining I’ve heard in recent memory. Was it “super lyrical”? By no means. Was it enough to put Jeezy in Hip-Hop’s elite? That’s for each individual listener to decide amongst themselves. One thing it was, however, was ground breaking. Who knows where Jeezy’s career would be had it not been for his Gangsta Grillz seal of approval. While Drama did have memorable tapes with T.I., Lil’ Wayne, Little Brother and others, it doesn’t have to be said who his most memorable compilation is connected with.

It’s whatever though. As the old lady in my church says every Sunday, this too shall pass. I’m just pissed I was never able to hear Trap or Die 2, I Am Trap or whatever the hell the internets said it was going to be called.

To reminisce when it was all so simple, take my favorite Jeezy record ever, hands down.

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Download — Young Jeezy & DJ Drama – “Intro” (from Trap or Die)