Going from a virtual unknown to a main staple of the Rocafella family, the Young Gunz have established themselves in the rap scene. The duo has been around for a few years, but their summer club banger, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” really solidified their spot on many radio play lists and rotations.
The Young Gunz’ debut album, “Tough Luv” (Rocafella Records 2004) is emblematic of this lead single, as it plays upon mainstream rap and party-oriented music. Such songs as “No Better Love,” the first single and “$$$ Girls” featuring Juelz Santana, capture the party/dance spirit that was so well crafted in “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.”
The group consists of Young Chris and Neef, two kids from Nicetown Philadelphia, who are signed with Rocafella Records. But the duo is part of a bigger Philly-based clan called State Property, which has obtained exposure from more prominent members Freeway and Beanie Siegel and released the Young Gunz first single on their “State Property Volume 2” album this summer.
Oriented toward the mainstream though it may be, “Tough Luv” is not strictly fun and games. Some of my favorite tracks are the ones where these Young Gunners touch upon the difficulty of life and poverty in Philadelphia. Here, when explaining that it is not all about chasing women and driving fancy cars, the Young Gunz shine brightest. Songs such as “Life We Chose” and “Never Take Me Alive” (featuring the ever-present, but semi -retired Jay Z), depict the gritty street life that birthed the Gunners. These not-as-radio-friendly tracks let the listener hear what these kids have gone through and what they are still going through. They tell a story, instead of just talking about girls.
Similarly, on the song “Time,” which uses the popular sped up voice sample, Chris and Neef paint a vivid picture of the everyday attempt to flee a life of poverty. In this song, the listener finds Chris rhyming: “…and they think its all peaches and cream/they think I’m lying/sayin’ I’m broke and they see me on screen/see what I mean?” This type of emotion invested into song inspires the listener to read deeper into the lyrical portrayal of the life that the Young Gunz experience.
The album is not perfect. It has poppy mainstream songs and a couple monotonous filler tracks (“Friday Night”, “Parade” and “Problemz”). But the Young Gunz can flow in a true duo style rarely heard, and they have chemistry. With any hip-hop debut album from a mainstream studio, there is a lot of pressure on the artists. The label wants hits, it wants radio play; it wants the group to reach a certain (wealthy, white, suburban) demographic. So it’s hard to make something personal. “Tough Luv” works because it strikes a balance between street credibility and radio-friendly joints. If this album is indicative of things to come, the Young Gunz will gain more creative control, go in their own direction, and become a mainstay of rap music.
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