Top 5 Favourite Curren$y Projects
One of my favourite rappers ever will always be Curren$y. In fact, excluding all-timers such as Jay-Z, Nas and Biggie, he is straight up my favourite rapper in general. The now 38 year-old well-respected New Orleans veteran has been in the game for almost 2 decades now, consistently delivering fire and timeless music for the fans to ride and smoke out to.
Curren$y first got his name out there in 2002, when he signed to Master P’s No Limit label and was one of the new members of P’s 504 Boyz group. However, by 2005 though, he would leave No Limit & 504 Boyz for Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint. You would’ve thought under the self-proclaimed best rapper alive’s wing, he would’ve started getting a lot of shine as he was appearing on projects like Tha Carter II and the Dedication mixtape series. Unfortunately, just like with No Limit, Curren$y didn’t get to put out his debut album; and there was lack of promotion, along with his 2006 debut single “Where da Cash At” not taking off like expected. By the end of 2007, he finally left the label.
It wasn’t over for Curren$y though. Being independent, he continued to make a name for himself by consistently putting out free mixtapes in 2008, such as Independence Day, Welcome to the Winner’s Circle and Super Tecmo Bowl. He took a break from mixtapes in 2009 though (outside of his classic joint mixtape with Wiz Khalifa, How Fly), releasing two albums: the appropriately-titled This Ain’t No Mixtape and Jet Files. These were both solid albums from him, filled with gems such as “Sixteen Switches”, “The Seventies” and “Elevator Musik”.
Many people deem Spitta Andretti’s prime around 2010 to 2014/15. The amount of quality he dropped within those 4–5 years was insane, it was hard to catch up with sometimes: the Pilot Talk trilogy (which is about to have a fourth installment hopefully later this year), Covert Coup, Weekend at Burnie’s, The Stoned Immaculate, Cigarette Boats, New Jet City, The Drive In Theatre, the Saturday Night Car Tunes EP trilogy. And how can we forget the Jet Life run with Trademark da Skydiver & Young Roddy, almost every song the three of them made together during that time happened to be fire. There’s so many projects and classic moments to name; and it was amazing how consistent Spitta happened to be around that time.
When I first started this blog on Blogspot back in 2014, I originally would try to review an artist’s albums in chronological order. However, Spitta’s discography would be one of the hardest ones I would ever have to go through and review. There’s so much quality he has put out within those 5 years, that writing a review about almost each and every mixtape and album he’s put out from 2009 to now would have just drained the hell outta me. I mean, shit, according to Wikipedia as of now, the guy got 12 albums and 57 mixtapes!!! All that music he’s put out for free… and that’s not even counting some of the collaborative efforts he’s put out with other rappers and producers.
So since it’s my favourite rapper’s 38th birthday today, I decided to round up my top 5 favourite projects from Curren$y. It’s been a bit hard to round them up, and I even managed to miss a few other projects from him that I really enjoyed. But it is what it is…
*damn… that was kinda a long one*
5. Pilot Talk
A year after he released his first two albums This Ain’t No Mixtape & Jet Files, Curren$y signed a deal with Damon Dash’s label DD172. He started to work with established producer Ski Beatz (formerly known as simply Ski) to create a new album called Pilot Talk, which is known as one of his breakthrough projects. What would end up being the first of a legendary trilogy, the album featured 13 tracks and was not only produced mainly by Ski, but had great production contributions from Mos Def, Monsta Beatz and Nesby Phips.
Spitta’s partnership with Ski throughout not only this album, but the rest of the trilogy, works so well. There are so many standouts throughout this album, including “Breakfast”: elite morning music where Spitta provides great fly raps over such a bright instrumental; and “Skybourne” which features Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T. & Smoke DZA over such a mellow and laidback instrumental from Ski that is so perfect for the sunny mornings. “Roasted” is a classic Jet Life track, and is one of the songs on the album that doesn’t have input from Ski, instead bringing in Monsta Beatz for such an indulging beat. Trademark’s hook is great, and he, Spitta & Young Roddy all do their thing. In fact, Spitta’s verse on this is probably one of my favourite moments from him in general. And finally, “Address” is just way too fuckin’ heavenly. Ski Beatz’ instrumental is out of the world, and Stalley’s guest verse is so outstanding, reflecting on his success and come up; along with the luxurious life he’s living. Spitta even says it all with his hook: “Ain’t nothing changed but the address”.
I could mention a lot more when it comes to Pilot Talk and even the rest of the trilogy but overall, the album really consists of a lot of strong moments from start to finish, outside of maybe one or two. Spitta provides such a laidback flow and delivery for his luxurious and stoner raps, while Ski Beatz got the mellow and euphonious beats to match. Their chemistry together brings Spitta at some of his very best, and it has definitely has been proven with the second and third installments . Hopefully, with Pilot Talk IV likely this year, Spitta delivers just like the rest of the series.
Recommended Tracks: “Address”, “Roasted”, “Skybourne”, “Breakfast”, “Prioritize (Beeper Bill)”, “The Day”, “Chilled Coughphee”, “The Day”
4. The Stoned Immaculate
In February 2011, just three months after the release of Pilot Talk II, Curren$y signed a deal to Warner Bros. Records. And although Weekend at Burnie’s was technically the first project Spitta released on Warner Bros., weirdly enough, it doesn’t necessarily count as his major label debut. Nope, that title belongs to The Stoned Immaculate, released later in 2012. This was one of the main projects where Spitta reaches for more of a cinematic and luxurious soundscape, in comparison to the more exotic Summer vibes of the first two Pilot Talk installments and Weekend at Burnie’s; as he works with a variety of producers and artists this time around, including 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., Estelle, The Neptunes, Bink!, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and more. And from start to finish, there are so many gems.
“What It Look Like” is an intro which sets up the cinematic and luxurious mood for the album, and does the job so fucking well; providing an elite lavish instrumental from none other than B!nk, along with a guest appearance from Wale, who was almost close to making it his own song the way he approached it with the hook and his verse. That is, of course, until Spitta comes along with his usual fly nigga raps; and straight up gets in his cruise control mode from there. “Take You There” is also another smooth, lavish cut; which kinda leans toward the Summer vibes a bit more than usual, especially with Marsha Ambrosius’ hook. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League is behind the boards this time around, while Curren$y shows off about the wonderful lifestyle he lives, touching on the trips he takes, the cars he own and, of course, the weed he smokes.
2 Chainz appears on “Capitol”, a fly ass song that features a smooth, soulful beat from The Innovatorz. I remember not liking Tity too much when this album first dropped, but I did start to dig him a bit more as I got older, and he was actually a pretty solid addition to the track. He and Spitta both brought their A-game all over the beat, making for such a braggadocios vibe. “Fast Cars, Faster Women” serves as another smooth cut where both Spitta & the legendary Daz Dillinger brag about cars, money and hoes in such a fly way. There are also songs like the Estelle-featured “That’s the Thing” where Spitta comes out of his comfort zone of lifestyle raps, and instead, crafts a love song about dealing with an on and off relationship. And also not to mention, there is a lot of immaculate (no pun intended) production throughout the album such as “Chandelier”, “Privacy Glass”, and even bonus tracks like “Audio Dope III”, which Spitta absolutely rips with his wordplay, by the way.
The Stoned Immaculate is overall a strong effort featuring Curren$y at some of his finest, as the veteran really gets in his cruise control mode almost throughout the album, giving such a lavish and cinematic vibe as if this whole thing was a movie. The production is consistent, the guest features delivered pretty well and Spitta does what he does best with his lifestyle raps about weed, money and cars. Even as a major label debut (in which you’d normally expect artists to sell out their sound), the same ol’ Spitta still remains through majority of the album, just a bit improved this time around.
Recommended Tracks: “Capitol”, “Chandelier”, “Audio Dope III”, “Showroom”, “J.L.R.”, “What It Look Like”, “Privacy Glass”, “Take You There”, “Fast Cars, Faster Women”
3. New Jet City
Now out of the rest of the projects on this list, this tape right here has a lot of nostalgia connected to it. I still remember waiting on the countdown for this mixtape on both DatPiff and HotNewHipHop, and I downloaded it as soon as it dropped, banging it out hard throughout that week during school. I really stuck with these songs a lot during that time, in such a shitty year for me in retrospect. But anyway… New Jet City is a mixtape, which is still in rotation a lot from me to this very day. Borrowing inspiration from the classic New Jack City film, the tape still brings some cinematic vibes, but a bit differently from what The Stoned Immaculate previously had, especially with the usage of soul and jazz samples throughout majority of the mixtape. As a matter of fact, it’s probably the most varied project on the list sonically, featuring a strong mixture of soulful fly jams, 70s blaxploitation vibes and hard-knocking bangers you can blast in your trunk!
After the soulful title track intro, there’s “Clear”, a laidback and mellow joint where Curren$y and Jadakiss both float like bosses with their fly lifestyle raps over some elite Statik Selektah production. “Three 60” interpolates a line from one of my favourite songs of all time, for such a fresh trunk banger, production courtesy of Cardo. Both Spitta and Juicy J are in their bag, delivering with real clean flows in such an effortless way. “Living in the City” is a main standout on the tape, where Curren$y provides a little verse rapping about the usual. But the production from Thelonious Martin definitely does hit hard though, and the way it complements Spitta’s content, you’d wish the whole song was longer than just 2 minutes and one little verse. There’s even a part 2 of “Sixteen Switches”, which is even shorter than the last song I just mentioned; and it would’ve probably been my third or fourth favourite on the mixtape if it was a bit longer. But how the fuck could I forget “Mary”, a hard ass song with such a wake-and-bake vibe to it. Spitta’s one verse wonder is real clean, with the flows he uses and the delivery throughout, and the hard Cortex-sampled beat is just the icing to the cake. 6 years later and it’s probably my third favourite song from Spitta! Other great moments, especially production wise, include “Moe Chettah”, a soulful cut but with such a big knock from Thelonious, the mellow “Purple Haze” and the trunk banging “Choosin’”
Overall, New Jet City is a great varied mixture of sounds, with Spitta still remaining the same with his content, but with better flows and deliveries, and a great range of production from talent such as Cardo, Thelonious Martin and Statik Selektah. It was a dope ass tape when it first dropped, and 6 years on, it’s still on rotation like it’s the first time again…
Recommended Tracks: “Mary”, “Living in the City”, “Clear”, “Three 60”, “Moe Chettah”, “Purple Haze”, “Sixteen Switches, Pt. 2”, “Choosin’”
2. The Drive In Theatre
Released on Valentine’s Day 2014, The Drive In Theatre was a project that featured a more cinematic soundscape than what was previously introduced in The Stoned Immaculate, Priest Andretti and New Jet City. Outside of maybe 3 songs, the mixtape consists of soulful, laidback production, and similar to the usage of 70s blaxploitation film scene clips on Priest Andretti, this tape is scattered with mainly clips from The Godfather film trilogy near the end of almost each song. Thelonious Martin manages to handle damn near half of the mixtape’s production, and his strong chemistry with Spitta is showcased so well on here, providing laidback knocking boom-bap beats for the New Orleans rapper to float effortlessly on with the same type of raps we all love him for.
After the mellow introduction, “Godfather 4” sets the mood for the cinematic and mafioso soundscape expected with the mixtape, especially with the scene clips of the Godfather trilogy scattered across the whole project. “Stove Top” and “Vintage Vineyard” are more jazzy and relaxing, with Spitta rapping about topics such as meeting with millionaires on the latter song. Both do end up lowkey coming across as interludes rather than proper full songs though. It’s “Stolen” that takes the cake for me on the mixtape, and to this day, is my favourite song from Curren$y, hands fucking down!!! Over such a mellow but hard-knocking beat from Thelonious Martin, Spitta comes out strong with his one-verse wonder, even connecting classic Godfather moments to speak on his relationships with doubters and fake people:
How could you hate yo brother when I’m just like you?
Except I did what I said that I would do, erase the hate
And let the sun shine through
Apply yourself, fool, you can live out yo dreams, too
Imagination can create the truth
Every brick that built my mansion will provide the proof
“E.T.” is the craziest beat on the mixtape, and it sticks to what the title suggests: an out of the world/alien-like touch to it. Both Spitta & B-Real sound at home over the 5-minute standout, surprisingly, and it’s Spitta’s second verse which is one of my favourite moments on the whole mixtape, especially when Thelonious Martin’s beat has the sample switch up a bit into something even darker.
Even with a few songs being upbeat, The Drive In Theatre hardly fades away from the cinematic and smooth soundscape. Cardo and Yung Exclusive both bring in a more exotic feeling with “Fo”, and a much bouncier track with “10 G’s”, both banger that could easily knock hard in a Cadillac. “$ Migraine” with Le$ is also another cool, slow joint to ride around in, featuring a catchy hook; and some solid lifestyle raps from both Spitta & Le$. Shit, as much as I don’t care about “El Camino”, I still happen to appreciate it as another upbeat joint, reminiscent of earlier Spitta joints from the This Ain’t No Mixtape and Pilot Talk eras. There’s a lot of gems to mention but other highlights on The Drive In Theatre include the soulful and mellow “M.P.R.”, the Young Roddy and Freddie Gibbs-featured “Grew Up in This”, in which Gibbs absolutely bodied the beat and “Hi Top Whites”.
Out of the rest of the projects on this list, yes, I did go on about this mixtape a bit longer than expected, but from start to finish, The Drive In Theatre is a comfortable, cinematic listening experience which features Curren$y at cruise control, gliding through the entire tape with such ease. The production is top notch, along with the collaborations with other talented rappers; as Spitta delivers clever bars about his elegant lifestyle. The opening bars on “Grew Up in This” sums up the whole mixtape’s vibe to me…
Life a movie, who directing yo shit?
That’s low budget, mine’s a Tarantino flick
Recommended Tracks: “Stolen”, “Grew Up In This”, “M.P.R.”, “E.T.”, “Hi Top Whites”, “Fo”, “10 G’s”, “Vintage Vineyard”
Download HERE!
AND FINALLY…
1. Covert Coup
Covert Coup marked the start of a wonderful musical relationship between Curren$y and the legendary Beverly Hills producer The Alchemist. I remember this album was actually the first time I ever heard of Alchemist, and as I got older and started digging Alchemist’s music more, I ended up appreciating this tape 10x more, unlike when I was 9 or 10 at the time it dropped. Actually, out of all of the projects on the list (yes, I know I must’ve said this a lot by now), this one features a lot more aggression and slightly darker production, in comparison to the luxurious The Stoned Immaculate and the exotic Pilot Talk trilogy, as Curren$y’s mellow, stoner style actually manages to get along so well with Alchemist’s range of soulful and obscure samples, his hard knocking drums and creeping basslines.
The opening track “BBS” starts off the album way too smooth, with the title referring to the classic rims found on coupe-style cars, and especially with that title, it sets up the album’s mood so well. Spitta floats so effortlessly over Alchemist’s mellow but bumping instrumental, coming with some strong wordplay and solid lifestyle raps over the beat’s sparse bassline. And the little wailing guitar sample near the end of the song was almost the icing on the cake for me, ha. “Smoke Break” is probably one of Curren$y’s best moments in his discography, a short and snappy song that gets straight to the point with his lifestyle raps about weed and cars, while Uncle Al delivers the most relaxing instrumental on the whole album. “Double 07” focuses on the grams of weed Spitta smokes, as he delivers a little one verse wonder to flex about whipping his Range Rover in Jamaica, smoking and being hardworking, while also sliding in some good references here and there.
Covert Coup also features a little solid lineup of guest appearances. The late Prodigy, who was just fresh off a three year prison bid at the time, appears on “The Type”, sounding so rejuvenated with his verse along with the New Orleans veteran; as they both interpolate an OutKast line for such a banger. “Life Instructions” features both Curren$y & Smoke DZA both come prepared with their stoner lifestyle rhymes, while Spitta also takes time to reflect on lost homies (rest in peace, Soulja Slim) and the game he learnt over the years. “Blood, Sweat & Gears” is one of the more aggressive yet chill highlights on the album, featuring an ominous instrumental from Alchemist, who comes through with such a nice creeping bassline on it. Former No Limit labelmate Fiend appears on the song, along with Spitta, and both are locked in high gear with their fly shit. And how could I forget Freddie Gibbs, who spun the fuck outta Spitta on “Scottie Pippens”, leading to what would become such a strong musical relationship between the two and even Uncle Al (I still thank those three for Fetti… that album is something special). The album finally ends with “Full Metal”, which might be one of Alchemist’s finest moments in his career to me, as he takes a powerful scene and its instrumental from the Full Metal Alchemist anime and flips it into such a fucking banger. A powerful way to end the album!
With 10 tracks and only a short runtime of just 28 minutes, Covert Coup is a prime example of Curren$y at his best almost anytime he locks in with one producer for an entire project (other examples include Cigarette Boats with Harry Fraud, Weekend at Burnies with Monsta Beatz and the Pilot Talk trilogy mainly with Ski Beatz). Spitta’s typical fly rhymes and hazy flows successfully mesh with a lot of Alchemist’s dark, hard-hitting production, which leads to a pretty interesting mood throughout, while the lifestyle and stoner content still remains the same. Not to mention, even to this day, the album consists of such high replay value, and still sounds just as amazing as it did when it first dropped almost 8 years ago. And with majority of the tracks being 3 minutes and under, it can definitely leave you wanting more, which actually ends up being the best part about this album. It’s the reason why it’s so easy for me to call this Spitta’s strongest project to date, such a fine and pristine body of work in the New Orleans veteran’s catalog, with immaculate production and a great lineup of guest appearances to back up the rapper’s fly rhymes strongly…
Recommended Tracks: “Full Metal”, “Scottie Pippens”, “BBS”, “Smoke Break”, “The Type”, “Blood, Sweat & Gears”
Honourable Mentions include Weekend at Burnie’s, Pilot Talk II, Verde Terrace and Priest Andretti. Might even add in Pilot Talk III, another good installment in the Pilot Talk trilogy.
And now to conclude this post with a tweet of mine, which I still stand by, unless it happens…
