By Odeisel

Lil Fame is a hard rhymer. He’s also one of the best producers of that hard knock life shit still banging behind the boards. His compositions recall the grit of concrete and gravel, cars honking, and subway rumbling urban immediacy. B.A.M. has enlisted his aid as well as the mighty Skyzoo, N.O.R.E. and REKS on his remix to the aptly-titled “Hoodness.”

Fame dials up the noise on production with a maddening rattle forming the walls of the track. A slow steady drum provides the foundation and random friction on the edges brings the level of conflict to a pressure boil. The beat is slow bubbling anger like Mookie tossing a garbage can through the window of Sal’s Famous.

N.O.R.E. doesn’t kick any rhymes but adds amp to the refrain. Skyzoo opens with a nod to Nas’ “Memory Lane” and delivers riddling raps, sneaking in references to Batman’s Joker (“Jack Napier raps”), weaving through the beat. Adter leaving breadcrumb after breadcrumb for you to pick up on , he closes with a nod to Biggie with an interpolation of “Be Happy.”

B.A.M. is obviously influenced by Big Pun in the way he mumbles and drags the connecting lines in his delivery. He’s dope though and his hardcore lyrics bring real energy out of this track. He picks the pace up from Sky’s dense, deliberate verse. REKS gets busy in his own right, bringing up the rear with sharp lines and a respectable delivery. Not his best, but not his worse.

“Hoodness” is a return to that hard shit. It’s not angry music from hood dudes rapping to escape the corner, but legitimate verses from credible rappers over a tough beat. Hip-Hop could use more of this.

B.A.M. Feat. Skyzoo, REKS & N.O.R.E. – “Hoodness” (Prod. by Fizzy Womack)

Hoodness (Allstar remix) f. N.O.R.E., Skyzoo & REKS (prod. by Fizzy Womack) 1

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