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One of the most underappreciated street rappers in the District of Columbia area, Shy Glizzy, premiered a video today for “Pilot,” a track off his excellent December mixtape, Fuck Rap.
Glizzy is an engaging presence on record, delivering tongue-in-cheek, punchline-riddled verses as often as violent short stories about his life growing up in the DC slums. The Glizzy gang operate on the fringes of the slowly burgeoning scene in the city. Glizzy was briefly courted but then dropped by the city's most high-profile export, alt-rap-icon-cum-MMG-cipher Wale, and reached a wider audience by feuding with the city’s biggest young star of the moment, Fat Trel, and his Midwestern buddy Chief Keef (check out his Keef diss freestyle “3Milli” here). The rapper transcended this early infamy by becoming something of a critical darling last year following the release of his full-length mixtape Law and a less serious collaborative tape with Jose Guapo.
Trinidad James, who was at the time of “Pilot”’s recording still an overnight blog sensation trying to prove his mettle, is the only high profile feature on Fuck Rap. In this recent video, we see him more confident than ever, delivering his own verse with elan while coolin’ alongside some planes (NBD) and enough Ciroc bottles to make you worry that Ross signed him. “Pilot” is a good introduction to Glizzy’s style; it demonstrates his ear for hooks and finds him aping some Danny Brown-ish vocal cadences to fine effect. Dropping the video with James is a clear sign that Glizzy is angling for bigger things- at least for a larger national audience. Look out for the rapper's upcoming Law 2 tape this summer.
