40 GLOCC - That New Nigga | Review By: Conan Milne


Release Date : May 2007

Label : Infamous/G-Unit Records

Rating: 3.5/5

Dub Quotable: 40 Glocc not only recovers gangsta rap’s edge; he also deftly sharpens it to the point where it’s as dangerous as it’s ever been.

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It’s too easy to jump to the conclusion that gangsta rap lost it’s edge. This is particularly true when today’s ‘G’ MCs are frequently heard spitting lazy verses over similarly lethargic productions. Lacking the raw emotion and ballsy attitude of their forerunners, members of gangsta raps new breed have helped define the genre as passé. Thankfully there’s 40 Glocc. The trigger-happy name alone bodes well, but crucially the music is just as menacing. Back with his latest mixtape, the confrontationally titled That New Nigga, the eager Mobb Deep affiliate demonstrates that he’s just as grimy as his NY peers.

Never is this better exemplified than on the obvious “Serial Killa.” Surrounded by Mobb’s Prodigy and hit-and-miss gangsta rapper 50 Cent, 40’s threats are the only ones that really ring true. Whereas it’s been tough to accept 50’s gun-toting rhymes since “Candy Shop,” and P delivers one of his frustratingly trademark ‘dozy’ verses, Glocc’s detailed violence shrieks of authenticity. “Walk up to you at your crib and kick in the door/Lay your kids and your bitch both on the floor,” he notes nonchalantly over rattling percussion and that distinctive G-Funk whine. While 40 frequently claims he isn’t above doing his own dirt, he later scoffs and reminds detractors that, “For crumbs off my table the homie will murk you.”

The downsides are almost inevitable. Bars like, “I make money, get hoes, shoot guns and smoke dro,” aptly summarize the extent of this mixtape’s lyrical content. The fact is that, no matter how enthusiastic 40 may be about his delightfully wicked boasts, some will always find his voyeuristic gangster-isms unappealing. Such listeners will find themselves fleeing this project long before it concludes it’s hour plus running time. Those willing to stick around the sonic crime scene for that long, however, will find this a strictly brooding, and ironically welcome pleasure.

40 Glocc not only recovers gangsta rap’s edge; he also deftly sharpens it to the point where it’s as dangerous as it’s ever been. For that, weary listeners worldwide should be thankful.

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