Something ‘Honest’ - Flashback Fridays

For a while I have been singing the praises of MMG rapper and Massillon, Ohio born Stalley. Every time he puts out a project or he’s featured on a track I find myself hanging on his every word. When Lincoln Way Nights came out I was in love like no other. I couldn’t truthfully tell you how many times I listened to songs like “Pound”, “330”, and “She Hates The Bass”.

Hearing him on “Ten Jesus Pieces”, “MMG The World Is Ours”, and other tracks made me into a fan of epic proportions. If you asked me right now, I could recite a verse from him right now.

This love of both his lyrical content and his style led me to quick get his last mixtape Honest Cowboy.

Honest Cowboy is just as beautifully rhymed as anything I’ve listened to from Stalley. In much the same way of any of my reviews, I fell in love with a few songs above the others. Allow me to share them with you.

“Swangin’” is a favorite. It features Texas rapper (and Southern legend) Scarface and vocalist Joi Tiffany. Much as you’d expect from a Stalley tape this is another ode to riding slow in a beautiful vehicle through his neighborhood. The sights and sounds are laced through and it takes you on a journey that makes everything else melt away.

“Samson” is a bombastic track with heavy bass and a slightly dark feel to it. I would liken it to something Kanye might have produced for one of his last two albums. Within the production you hear Stalley rap with a bit of braggadocio that plays well against everything.

“The Highest” features Crystal Torres and is a smoker’s type of track. Crystal’s vocals trickle through the track and add a certain quality to that makes me think that s this song is being played the backdrop and everything you see should be green.

“NineteenEighty7”, to me, feels like a freestyle battle or just lyrical acrobats. For that sort of thing you’d need an amazing lyricist with an amazing delivery. Enter ScHoolboy Q, playing a strong counterpoint to every one of Stalley’s verses. As I listen to it there is this undeniable feeling that I should be watching these two in a cypher or something.

I would also suggest checking out tracks like “Raise Your Weapons”, “Cup Inside A Cup”, and “A-Wax”.

Per usual, Stalley gives a strong performance with great lyricism and very good features. Honestly, it makes me wish and wonder for a full length studio album.

But honest?

He’s secretly given us his third with this.


Written by Lucius Black