As we creep into the month of June and new music starts to settle down, we start to expect certain outcomes with our particular taste in music. To be interested is one, and the other, is to be entertained. Grammy award-winning producer Hitboy and his HS87 crew’s compilation album We The Plug is the kind of record that produced both. As Hitboy begins to make his name as a rapper/producer, songwriter, we start to see his true motivations in this rap industry — to make beautiful music. With the emergence of his rap duo, Audio Push, Hitboy has allowed himself to be put in the rankings as not only artist, but a person with a pristine eye for talent. This album is a cohesive body of work due in part to the fact that the production is on point.
Stand out tracks such as “Shit Shit” (which features the legend Kurupt) & “Scorn” flow incredibly, almost to the point where you could make an entire album around these two tracks. This record proves that DJ Mustard is not the only one great at recreating the new west coast sound. In fact, you can make a case that Audio Push and Hitboy are the leading Cali go-getta’s — but that’s a different story for a different day. The track “Picture That,” follows a broken hearted Hitboy who reflects on a bad break-up that ultimately ended with his ex getting a new boyfriend. With R&B crooner K. Roosevelt, Hitboy and HS87 were able to add a certain element to the album that most compilation LP’s lack. Singing soulfully on the hook, the track is by far one of the biggest records on this LP. With fantastic production and a selective placement of rappers, HS87 has put themselves up there with some of the greatest compilation albums of all time. Rounding out the album guest list is Kid Cudi, Nipsey Hussle, Kurupt, Young Dro and Rich Boy. All things considered, this will likely enter “best of the summer” conversations from coast to coast. And if you don’t believe me, well, I don’t give a fuck.
– @itssJoey 7.2/10
