It seems now more than ever, the existence and relevance of New York Rap bearing a New York influence is in question. With New York City: The Album, Troy Ave seeks to answer the questions. Aptly titled, the project is a celebration of all things New York, from early new millennial New York emcees, to the newly Brooklyn-housed Nets, New York City: The Album embodies the Big Apple. Without feeling forced, Troy Ave has created an album that is sure to give New Yorkers something to be proud of, and those outside of the five boroughs something resembling the music they most likely also loved from the NYC.
While a lot of the production on the album resembles that of early ‘90s New York Hip Hop, Troy Ave himself is sure to remind listeners more of the artist who was running the Rap game when Troy was in his teens—50 Cent. “Show Me Love” finds Troy Ave almost recreating “In Da Club.” While the hook bares a strong resemblance to the hit that helped break the G-Unit general, paying more homage to the G-Unit regime, Ave enlists Tony Yayo to feature.
Like 50, Troy Ave isn’t the most complex when it comes to lyrics. However, unlike many emcees who combine unrelated punch lines back to back, Ave often avoids one-liners. On “Cigar Smoke,” he raps the following:
“Bird ass niggas, there’s no relation / I cannot consider you real if you ever was hating…unless your team was playing / You might call Lebron a bum, but you ain’t really mean it / You just must mad he dropped on Brooklyn, I seen it / And felt the same way, once I got up out my feelings / Still had to sling yay, them suites ain’t cheap / Win or lose still struggle / Mickey Mantle don’t love you / So I fishtailed out to Bronx, with fishscale from my hustle…”
How Troy Ave concludes “Cigar Smoke” is a representation of what he appears to be attempting to get across the whole album, by rhyming, “I only drink Cristal, or Imperial Moet / No more weak ass Rose, that’s why the game too sweet / We don’t wear tight ass clothes, we don’t do down South beats / That ain’t New York, I restore our identification / ‘Cause dick riding never been a form of transportation…”
The features on New York City are limited, and handled properly. Outside of Troy’s BSB affiliates (which only appear twice), of the 17 tracks on the project, only three contain features; the aforementioned “Show Me Love” with Tony Yayo, “Everything” featuring Pusha T, and the single “New York City” which features Empire State contributors, Raekwon, N.O.R.E. and Prodigy. This gives listeners unfamiliar with Troy’s “Bricks In My Backpack” series a chance to get acclimated to the young up-and-comer.
Not too far removed from the people on the avenue, “Me Against The World” finds Troy speaking of the struggle to succeed and chasing dreams. “Mama Tears” and “Beneath Me” find the BK street emcee flexing his storytelling chops. While you won’t find any love stories on New York City (“Regretful” is the exact opposite) Troy Ave shows his versatility across the project. Never straying too far from his wheelhouse however, he does so without coming off formulaic, which is an issue several artists have ran into while attempting to do something for everyone.
New York City: The Album is not just good New York, street Hip Hop album…it’s a good Hip Hop album. While the streets of New York are sure celebrate the project, it is also likely to convert Hip Hop heads from other regions into fans of the self-proclaimed “Harry Powder.” Troy Ave’s wittiness and overall personality are on full display across the project, and while not lyrically a titan, he’s not to be disrespected when it comes to bars either. Those who are for one reason or another puzzled as to what happened to the New York Hip Hop they used to love need look no further than Troy Ave.
IM FROM THE SOUTH…I’M A HIP HOP HEAD….AND THE SOUTH IS FEELING TROY AVE!!!! NEW YORK STAND UP! THIS IS WHAT YALL REPRESENT ON THIS RIGHT CHEA!!!
powder
yo this is what NY needed Harry Powder
I fucks with troy ave
I used to skip out on cabs, coo, you ugly fat ducket, this guy is gay to the 3rd degree.
Album brings back that 90’s feel. And you can tell he’s frok NY.
This was a good review for a really good album.
100%
Very solid project,album worthy.
he should be proud like I remember bumping this dude 4 years ago he a couple hot joints, disappeared but i guess he just continued working and not giving up on this shit. Hell yea I’ll buy the album not from NY but Boston however East Coast stick together. Aint nobody as competitive as us.
I agree !!
VERY DOPE.
Shits dope this the type album n beats I want jadakiss to drop stay away from that down south shit
before I saw the draft for $8252, I did not believe …that…my brother could realie bringing in money in there spare time on-line.. there best friend had bean doing this for under nineteen months and recently paid for the depts on there villa and bought themselves a Car. go to my site… http://www.Fb39.com
With any amount of success comes things like this. If Kendrick was his own man he would have still done the show, and told Kiffith to chill.
Dope! Dude bringing NY back. !
All these other dudes from NY changed and now do south shitty beats… Like I just listened to Memphis Bleek’s latest song and of course he used a shitty trap southern beat. Fuck outta here wit that
Nigga tryan get some shine off of kendrick name. Fuck outta here lame ass bum nigga
He’s good enough to label himself a NY artist but he’s not ready to hang with the big boys from NY yet. 3 dope though.
This shit is Fire!!
Haven’t heard N.O.R.E spitt a verse like that since The War Report. He went in too…
This album is FIRE, been banging it ever since it dropped. I’m glad NY rap still has a pulse left. Let’s go. 5 stars.
Dope Album.
Young cat represents New York like a New York Mc suppose to!
it’s decent but Troys feeling himself a lil too much, wasnt feeling the production either, 3/5
dude really stepped his game up on this album. i checked all his mixtapes out and thought they were garbage but this is dope as hell
The reviewers on this site must be smoking crack. I like Troy Ave. for his east coast sound and all but lets keep it 100 he’s and average rapper at best and while this is an enjoyable listen if you fan of that east coast sound this shit a 3-3.5 tops
Ok, on second listen…nix the hardrock they just puffin wet. It a solid 3.8/5
Flames
This is another example that nyc has no talent. Only washed up rappers like: jada, fabolous, fat joe etc
Fab ain’t washed up. Not by a long shot u punk ass nigga. Go listen to your bullshit simple southern trash.
^ Da Nile aint just a river in egypt
This real NY street rap lot of niggas need to pay attention to this
You dirty fucks Ny hiphop and Hiphop in general has been here since the day Herc and all the legends been doing this culture ! You aren’t involved because its elite statues shit you fuckzzzzz don’t know about!!!!!! Down south Midwest there’s REAL FUCKIN HEADS THAT Run this true true HiP HOP music and Culture is real and it strives SEAN P he eats SADAT x eats of hip hop real kats doing us proud and keeping the essence of the culture !!!!!!!!! Troy ave busted beats are busted peace to jun muthfucker and all the underground people doing this shit right
uptil I looked at the draft four $7430, I didnt believe that…my… brothers friend was like they say actualy erning money part-time on their laptop.. there uncle haz done this for only about seventeen months and recently cleared the mortgage on their house and bought a great audi. check out here… http://www.Fb39.Com
i’m hot and give me my props/ And stopping is not an option/ I feel like i’m God’s Son/ I know i’m not Pac, Nas, or Eminem/ But you still get my sentiments/ I’ve been sent here to rap/ And kick facts for these cats/ Got dog barking other side of the tracks/ And that’s that
Dope as hell
NIGGA PUTTIN IT DOWN FOR REAL NY ISH
5 STARZ
powderr
It is good to see a newer artist keeping it real with an NYC sound. Too many young hip hop fans saying NYC hip hop is dead are ignorant and just don’t know any better.
Real New York feel.I just wanna rock my durag, white tees, and reebok g-unit sneakers
I think this guy is wack. Not getting the appeal of a post-9/11 hipster wanna-be drug dealer. Cant believe people buyin’ it.
At least a clown like Skyzoo true to who he is.
yeah the nigga is average at best. I dont really see what the hype is all about. never heard of the kid.
Go listen to Em or Kanye, they two dropped shitssics lately
They both drooped two shitssics…..
Yeah, okay. They might have been shit to you, but one eventually went gold & is still going strong and the other sold 790,000 copies the first week. Now can ya beat that?
YES
LOL THIS GUYS IS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL!!!!
this is the “young rising talent”? of the future??? LOLOL THIS GUY SUX I RAP BETTER THAN THIS NIGGAAAAAERRR
Your mom sucks hard and???
Can’t wait until your album drops!! What’s the release date? lol
SHIT FIRE AN IM FROM NEW ORLEANS
CERTIFIED TRASH
Stop talking about your race, bro, let Em do that.
http://legitmix.com/EPCWA/artist/16409/Section/mix/13569
finally someone speak out on the dickriding on down south beats the beats be hot down south dont get me wrong but the rappers down there right now is horrible. I got people in philly that want trap beats and shit im like wtf but this Troy ave shit tight
JAHLIL BEATS AINT TRAP BEATS. DATS PHILLY SHIT THO! STAY OUT THE CITY B4 U GET SHOT DOWN, DIS AINT CHICAGO!
4/5 First time listening to an entire album by troy ave. pretty good i must say.
young harry powder bloomin like a coco flower, hamper full of towels all the bitches took a shower!
Great album, very versatile
Very nice effort
this album was decent he reminds me of a young 50 Cent
50 better sign this nigga and start trying to push him and kidd kidd
Good album. This dude has some skills.
This is New York hip hop!! Troy ave gonna bring New York back with the BOSSBRED BOSSES from the boogie down
until I saw the paycheck saying $8793, I accept …that…my sister was like they say realy bringing in money parttime from there computar.. there neighbor has been doing this 4 less than twenty one months and resently cleard the dept on there house and purchased a gorgeous Cadillac. Visit Website… http://www.Fb39.com
not by pretenious self-posturing and relentless running of the mouth camparing himself to others who actually made an impact with their accomplishments.
Great effort, good tape! Troy is dope
DEF DOPE..I JUST FIND HIPHOPDX BIAS TOWARDS EAST COAST ARTIST
dopest ish
east coast is really hurting for something good. when something decent comes out it equals good? come on, its decent
This album is dope! I understand if that skinny jeans, hammer pants, men wearing dresses is your thing I’m not judging I’m just saying I can relate to the music Troy Ave is putting out. It’s been a long time since I could listen to an entire album no skips the greats included. Good look for NY and hip hop as a whole.
i really wish i could understand the appeal of this album. lyrically, it’s amateurish. just my opinion.
you don’t understand the appeal because he’s not talking about popping molly. your a weirdo…
HARD…..
Yes!!!!!
boooo
5 out of 5, that’s it…
rapwarzgame.com
Rap Warz the first ever hip hop trivia game show.
Where hip hop/rap music fans battle it out for big cash and top prizes while Learning and educating themselves and sharing our hip hop culture.
dope ish
impressive
DOPE. Cigar Smoke is my sh*t
5/5
its a good album. I really like it. now if it came out in like the 90s it would still be good but not stand out as much as it does now but ill take. these albums are rare now
Im From Cali to Chicago and Texas. Feels like Troy ave might be new yorks next up and comer. XXL FRESHMAN!!!
hot shit
Fire !
This was a really great album. I can see this album being a slow burner, as in it will start getting more attention and prestige years from now.
Troy is underrated
Fab got th3 illest mixtape out right now! Soul tape 3 B#%tch. Either one of them rappers u mention would wrap puzzles round that same bass line drop the south be poppin. Kings come from the East Coast. Go trick off on dem strippers, yall niggas some hoes