100 Grandman - Gangsta Grillz: Welcome To Baltimore (DJ Drama)

When Architects Recording Studio first put the word out that ALLBMOREHIPHOP.COM had the new 100 Grandman mixtape (which is already the #1 most downloaded release on the site the past week), I knew I had to check it out, and when they said that it was with DJ Drama, the first Gangsta Grillz with a Baltimore artist, I really knew I had to check it out, and I admit it was partly because I didn't really believe it at first. I mean, 100 Grandman's been doing pretty well for himself lately, with the great video for "Take It 2 The Top" last year, and some local radio rotation for "Wet Wet" (which, by the way, I absolutely hate now because it's the song that starts streaming every time I open ALLBMOREHIPHOP.COM, and that shit gets annoying fast). But I didn't think he was doing well enough to do something with DJ Drama, plus I couldn't find anything online about this being an installment in the Gangsta Grillz series, and on the cover they misspell the name of Drama's company, The Aphilliates (which has two L's, cause they're from Philly). But I went and listened to it, and as it turns out it's apparently legit, since Drama is all over the tape shouting out the names of tons of Baltimore rappers and DJs, and throwing in "R.I.P. K-Swift" (which he also said last year on a Lil Wayne tape). So I dunno how they hooked that up, but that's a good look. I feel like there's some unspoken cheeseball '80s theme on here because there are samples of Michael Sembello's "Maniac" AND the Cutting Crew's "(I Just) Died In Your Arms." There are guest appearances by Bossman, NOE, Smash, TestMe, and even a verse from Freeway.

100 Grandman f/ Tay Guns - "The Face Of Baltimore" (mp3)
This cat's name is spelled as Tay Guns on the tracklist, but I thought I've seen his name as Tay Gunz before, not sure which is right. Anyway he totally murders his verse, probably my favorite verse on the whole mixtape, so many lines I had to rewind: "I got my cake up/ I left my own shadow behind, he like 'wait up'!/ I lift my face up to see my city, homie/ I'm Home Alone 2/ a bunch of pigeons on me/ I'm so effin' fly/ I disrespect the sky/ I'm so fresh to death I get dressed and die."

Labels: 100 Grandman, ALLBMOREHIPHOP.COM, Architects, Bossman, mixtape/album review, mp3, NOE, Smash, TestMe