GUNPLAY // STRAIGHT UP MENACE // SHORT FUSE

Gunplay is maybe the best rapper on Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Label (my favorite anyway — Meek Mill is a close second), and part of a Bawse-formed collective known as Triple C’s [sic, apostrophe] (Carol City Cartel). He’s very much a part of the post-Flockaveli mini-(so far) era of rap in which thugged out goons bark out monosylabic threats over momentous, booming beats, but Gunplay brings some lyrical wit to the table and also, as evidenced in the track above (which has a video now), some occasional emotional nuance.

Gunplay’s strong last mixtape (favorably reviewed at p4k) was released as a prelude to his forthcoming solo debut Valkyrie, but that album isn’t out yet. As blogger YAYODANCING points out, the new mix, Short Fuse, is yet another blend of newer and older songs, many of which were previously released online, but here they are in a nice coherent package.

-coopDC