Can I get a GEAH!?!?
For two decades MC Eiht has been one of hip-hop’s most recognizable voices in hip-hop; and undisputedly one of Compton’s finest originators and emcees.
A straight menace, MC Eiht burst onto the scene with Compton’s Most Wanted Music To Driveby. Released just months after the LA Riots, Music To Driveby was a manifesto for the nihilism, frustration and anger that permeated the region and is universally hailed as a Gangsta Rap classic.
Similarly, Eiht also contributed vital components and compositions to genre defining movies, offering the chilling “Growin’ Up In The Hood” to Boyz N The Hood and following up Music To Driveby with a star turn as A-Wax in Menace 2 Society, which included his stand-out contribution (“Streight Up Menace”) to the movies soundtrack.
Though accredited as MC Eiht featuring Compton’s Most Wanted, Eiht took on a more singular role with We Come Strapped, which was certified Gold and peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts and his sophomore solo project Death Threatz which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Charts.
While Eiht has always remained active; including an EP release (Keep It Hood), his scene-stealing appearance on Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City (“m.A.A.d City”) and his recent contribution (“Central Ave”) to DJ Quik & Problem’s Rosecrans album (which officially ended his vicious feud with Quik) Eiht gallantly returns with his first solo-album in a decade, Which Way Iz West, which will be released on 6-30-17 and aligns him with DJ Premier, who executive produced the project and also produces four tracks as well (Eiht’s long-time collaborator Brenk Sinatra produced the rest of the project). Featured guests on Which Way Iz West include WC, B-Real, Xzibit, Kurupt, Lady Of Rage, MayLAy, Big Mike, The Outlawz, Bumpy Knuckles (AKA Freddie Foxxx) and Compton’s Most Wanted.
The union of these two legends will be released conjunctly by Eiht’s Blue Stamp label and Preemo’s Year Round Records imprint.
Today, via an exclusive premiere with XXL, MC Eiht releases his third and final single “Got That” f/ DJ Premier before Which Way Iz West is officially released. “This is one of those fierce “100 Miles And Running” tracks” Eiht stated to XXL. “The direction was to focus on what I felt was needed, which is delivery and wordplay. Preem felt the hook, so he added his vocals. I know rapheads want BARS, this is straight flavor.”
“I’ve loved this track ever since the rough draft” DJ Premier chimed in. “When I was mixing the song down, Eiht kept saying :Got That” after the verses and I was going to put some scratches on it. I’m sitting at the board, saying the three lines to myself because I felt like it would fit in the blanks. I decided to go in the booth to record it and see if it would blend with the song. I’m not a fan of my own voice so I sent it back to Eiht for approval and his replay was literally GEAH.”
© 2017, Niyah Nel. All rights reserved.
