Yung $lick

27TH DECEMBER 2014POST
MIXTAPE REVIEW: YUNG $LICK “1986”

Before I get into this review, let me put out a disclaimer for anyone who asks me to do one in the future: I am one person with one opinion. If I say anything you don’t like, deal. I am not a yes man. I am just a writer with an opinion. If you want a biased report, don’t come to me. Back to the regularly scheduled program…
Ok, this review should’ve been done about a week ago *cues Bobby Shmurda dance.* Sorry for the outburst of ignorance, but I had to do it. Anyway…
On Dec. 17, Manassas, Virginia rapper Yung Slick came out with his “1986” mixtape, hosted by DJ Flatline. Considering the mixtape cover, I was expecting to feel the vibe of an era I wasn’t born in (1988 baby, yo.)


Now, the intro sets you up to the year and you’ll feel vibes of the 80s throughout the project. To me, it felt more like a Part 2 of Slick’s “I Love The Grind” mixtape he dropped in 2012 — similar elements of the struggle, vices and good times, but more refined. The biggest differences between the two tapes though? I felt like there weren’t as many tracks on 1986 I could just replay time and time again in comparison. Plus, y’all know how I feel about the DJ screaming on tracks or throwing drops, but in this case it wasn’t too much of an annoyance. Still though…
That shouldn’t take away from your experience of 1986. Overall, it’s a very solid project — I wasn’t fast-forwarding on anything and when something nasty caught my ear, I played it again. My favorite songs were Lord ft. Jon Corleone, Living Like A Boss and the How To Grind Remix. The latter of the three songs hit hard, mainly because of the Petey Pablo “Raise Up” sample and with me being a North Carolinian, 1986 had my respect from the jump. Then, there’s even a chopped-and-screwed version, which just added to the allure. I know I said there aren’t as many tracks I personally had on repeat, but I couldn’t hate on one song and when M3lo put the Texas sound on it? Dopeness.
Bottom line, I would say take a listen to “1986.” This is the third review I’ve done on Yung Slick and to me, I feel like he’s found his lane with this one. I see progression with each project and if you’re looking for the balance of hip hop and rap, here you are. Here’s the link to the original project:
https://spinrilla.com/mixtapes/young-slick-1986
And the chopped and screwed version:
https://soundcloud.com/yungm3lo/sets/slizzy-1986-choppd-sxrewd-2014
That’s all for now. Until next time… - Junious Smith III

Before I get into this review, let me put out a disclaimer for anyone who asks me to do one in the future: I am one person with one opinion. If I say anything you don’t like, deal. I am not a yes man. I am just a writer with an opinion. If you want a biased report, don’t come to me. Back to the regularly scheduled program…
I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a review. Well, I haven’t had people send reviews. Artists haven’t approached me with mixtapes and as a result, I got stagnant with the entries. I can only do so much as a blogger, so hopefully there will be more of an infusion of reviews in the near future…
So, I finally got an opportunity to review something: Virginia artists Yung $lick and Blak Mav came together to put together a 10-track mixtape entitled “Marley-n-Marvin,” which looked like an ode to late icons Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye.


While I’ve never heard a single track from Blak Mav, I did a review for Yung $lick’s “I Love The Grind” mixtape. From then to now, the progression is evident. This is a solid project that doesn’t just stick on one particular subject, which is always something I like with artists. What really got me was the beat selection, which would’ve kept my attention even if there were no vocals. Not to say the main artists and features didn’t come with it; there wasn’t one bad song to me lyrically. My three favorite songs on there were Brick Flair (ft. D. Croc), Light It Up (ft. Lioness and Moe Reese) and No Way (ft. Sixxcess).
Here’s my issue though: the mixtape didn’t really match the title. There were some good doses of the Marley people perceive from the surface. There were a couple dollops of Marvin in the mix. Still, the project name is misleading. By no means is it a bad project; I just think it would’ve worked with a better name, because I expected one thing and got another. Also, long, drawn-out DJ drops and drops in the middle of a verse are a pet peeve of mine. Finally, I had this project emailed to me. I tried to listen to “Light It Up” online? 13 seconds. Hopefully the whole thing will be posted soon…
Overall, Marley-n-Marvin is worth a listen. There’s a little bit of something for everyone, so if you’ve got some down time, go ahead and click this link:
http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/26202/yung-slick-blak-mav-marley-marvin.html
Well, that’s all for me. Until next time… - Junious Smith III

YUNG $LICK “I LOVE THE GRIND” MIXTAPE REVIEW

Before I even get into this blog, I would like to point out the irony of me working on this at an hour where most people are soundly asleep. I have been in meetings and work the whole day, but seeing that grinding is something that I love to do…too much huh?
Anyway, on October 29, 2012 Manassas, Virginia rapper Yung $lick dropped “I Love The Grind”. This mixtape is a 19-track submission of a man’s amorous attitude toward hustling music to get the things he desires. Slizzy breaks down both sides of the grind as well throughout; the benefits reaped through the sleepless nights as well as the pain of not making it to the levels of success one wants to acquire.
If the name of the mixtape doesn’t give you an idea of what to expect, the intro will solidify things. Roxxy from On The Roxx Radio delivers a powerful monologue, which sets the tone for the entire project. Later on, she is part of a hilarious skit with the stereotypical rapper that most of us usually run into asking you to check out his or her work without any contact information or providing a weak freestyle, or worse: a “free-written”.
Yung $lick leaked three tracks before the mixtape dropped. Outer Space (featuring Sherell Rowe, Trey Young and Drama Da Problem) and his Mula Freestyle were downloadable via mp3 while “Tell Me It’s Real” was the music video. While all of those songs were good listens, they weren’t even my favorite songs on the project. Early In The Morning (featuring Diceman) and Light Up The Sky (featuring Suni MF Solomon) were high-energy tracks that I consistently played. Dreamin; however, was my favorite and the track I could relate to the most. To me, Tracks 10-16 could get played in a loop repetitively with no complaints.
I only had two complaints with the entire project. First, the intro was about 45 seconds too long for my taste. Secondly, while “Social Commentary” was in that aforementioned 10-16 loop, the clips used with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney didn’t really fit. They were great clips, but it was like having a dark blue tie with Carolina blue designs. It could work, but I’m not exactly sure if I would rock with it all the time.
Overall though, “I Love The Grind” is a more than worthy listen. I wouldn’t waste my time writing about something I couldn’t listen to. If a lyrical rapper flowing to good beats with substance is something you need, get at Yung $lick.
Download “I Love The Grind” here. If you can’t download it, because it’s a sponsored tape, you can listen without a Datpiff account.
Follow him @Slizzy703
Also, check out his website: http://www.Slizzylife.com - Junious Smith III