If you started form the bottom / then you probably understand
Yeah my ma don’t even drive / but ima put her in a Lamb
Don’t consume pork but recently / I’m going HAM
Wrist piece straight from Kenya / I ain’t even touch the land
Words by Jason Lee; Header photo by Abayomi
Besides making us hangry for lunch with its multiple mentions of succulent flesh-based foodstuffs (alas. there’s no onsite deli at Deli HQ sorry to say) on a more metaphorical level it’s the meatiness of Pook Hustle’s rhymes, flow, and production on his latest single “Bounca” (produced by his Pook’s partner in rhyme KHAJE) that really gets our juices flowing and given the fact all the meat mentioned above is strictly metaphorical (“Lamb” as in Lamborghini etc.) even pescatarian and vegetarians are welcomed in plus anyone else who’s on the come-up from hard times where “one day you eating good / next day you on a jam” cuz truly who reading this can’t identify with living in the city and being in “the race for the cheddar [where] we hustle forever”…
…and besides whatever yr material circumstances who can resist multisyllabic rhymes along the lines of “you pro’bly understand” paired with put her in a Lamb” which feels very much of the times esp. in light of Kendrick’s recent Super Bowl Halftime Show appearance which maybe may just signify the passing of the monosyllabic mumble rap era (no wonder the MAGGOTS got their panties all in a twist at the sight of an articulate Black Man on the national stage at a game dominated by a city long associated with Black Urbanity) not to mention PH’s freestyle game is on point as the Deli witnessed first hand some months ago at the annual Brooklyn Wildlife Festival so if you’re into hardcore lyricism Pook’s yr man…
…but don’t get it twisted cuz despite all the semantic red meat on display Pook Hustle puts us in mind of a classic NYC icons along the lines of LL Cool J who likewise is known for balancing hardcore lyricism with smooth-as-butter on-the-seductive-tip verbiage as evidenced from the opening bars of “Bounca” not to mention the head-bobbin’ groove that sounds like it could’ve been sampled from a classic Issac Hayes joint circa Shaft, Black Moses, or Hot Buttered Soul as elsewhere you’ll find Pook Hustle extolling his love of the ladies with lines like “between her legs is an ocean (Moses) I had to part it / she called me Daddy, I said don’t disrespect your father” all whilst decked out in a sharp-as-aged-cheddar suit no less (gotta class things up a bit when you play keyboard & guitar in additional to emceeing) so can put that in your spliff and smoke it…
…but whereas LL represents Queens there’s no room for doubt that Pook H. was raised out in Brooklyn—Crown Heights to be more exact as explicitly cited in the opening lines of “Bounca”—with the whole number itself designed to pay tribute to the too-oft overlooked Brooklyn ‘hood (the Height having spawned talent as diverse as Nas, Chris Rock, and chess grandmaster Bobby Fisher even if all later become more closely associated with other parts of the borough, the city, and the world) all whilst calling for movement in a world of stiff party-goers too afraid to let loose as the song’s press kit so aptly puts it plus as Pook himself points out in his lyrics he’s basically “a rockstar, dawg” who much like Philly-based The Roots has “even got a band” which if you’re a real one counts more than counting bands cuz if you started from the bottom you probably understand…
…and hey while we’re quoting press kits we should tell you more about Pook Hustle’s collaborators on “Bounca” which is another aspects that makes the track so quintessentially Crown Heights in all its contemporary diversity with 30% of its residents being foreign born and more than 67% from the Caribbean according to no less a sourcee that NYC.gov so here ya go with some facts paraphrased from said press pack:
It’s no exaggeration that there is a large Caribbean presence in New York City and in Pook Hustle’s borough of residence, Brooklyn, which after all is where he met his Jamaican partner-in-production, KHAJE. Together, they’re seeking to restore the feeling of a time when parties were in basements and The Notorious B.I.G. waxed poetic over Super Cat’s “Dolly My Baby”. This intention is made clear in the single, “Bounca” also featuring Sekani BRGHTN.
On “Bounca” Pook Hustle, KHAJE and Sekani BRGHTN get the vibes right for a night out and let us know what to expect in this harmonious cultural exchange. The smooth vocals on the chorus are provided by KHAJE, who lets us know to pick up the pace because we “haffi catch it pon di right speed.” That’s no problem for Pook Hustle and Sekani BRGHTN, who both deliver nimble verses. The production, which would suit a Shenseea just as well as AMINÉ, is also provided by KHAJE. Hypnotic synth chops meet 808 drums with a subtle dancehall groove to create a perfect playground for the two emcees to exercise some playful flows about who they are so you know how to address them should you see them in the club.
So there you have it, if yr looking for a “perfect representation of the true Brooklyn experience that sometimes goes underrepresented [with] songs and visuals that highlight the everyday experiences of working-class people & alternative forms of black masculinity” who knowns how to both bring home the bacon while also nimbly navigating the Black Superhero Complex which has gotta be quite the tightrope to walk no doubt then look no further than our featured artists for today and learn a lesson or two about putting on a suit and going all stealth as a quintessentially Brooklyn means of hustling the hustler…