They Are Brooklyn Rappers Now

NVSV and Jvggy Hendrix release their collaborative album.

“The Lords” by NVSV and Jvggy Hendrix

Two young men used Pittsburgh as their hub, building themselves, letting experiences mold them, patiently studying, and only producing content when they felt ready to do so, aware of the times when art fell on deaf ears in the Steel City. Just like any creative person in a small town, the great migration to massive cultural hubs like New York City or Los Angeles called to them while they woke and while they slept. But the subjects, Jvggy (pronounced Jiggy) Hendrix and NVSV (pronounced NASA), never balked at their set up in The ‘Burgh. Both of them rappers, Jvggy from Swissvale nine miles from Downtown Pittsburgh and NVSV from Baltimore, Md., met at the studio space and music collective that NVSV partnered with in the west end of Pittsburgh— Library Collaborative. Jvggy “came in for some sessions and we’ve been tight ever since. Not on no funny type shit, but he’s my protégés. Dead ass. And he enjoys the same things in hip hop as I do. But he also teaches me what the kids are up to,” the senior NVSV said about his younger Jvggy.

NVSV and Jvggy bloomed their studio engineering relationship into frequent collaborators on each other’s records. By my count, they have eight songs together that we know about spread out across Soundcloud releases and digestible extended plays on Apple Music. Their styles mix well, especially over classic boom bap beats fit only for true emcees to conquer. They sound very much like the rap that currently emanates from the Griselda fellas out of Buffalo, N.Y. “Listening to West and Benny,” NVSV admits while he crushes his own version of the brown mafioso, speaking a cadence so gritty and intentional in the song “Deadstock,” which also features Jvggy. “Come from where the Stillers be. Live by where them killers be,” Hendrix went for his city.

During the duos gestation period, NVSV moved to Brooklyn in the back half of 2019. “NY influenced me from birth. The city is hip hop… I think the tone of my music now is a direct reflection of my life here in Brooklyn now. I don’t think I would have been able to achieve that same sound while living anywhere else,” he said to ITR over Instagram DM. Also answering the call to the Big Apple was Jvggy. “New York has given me an opportunity to be more myself,” he said, going onto mention how he resonates with sounds from Griselda too and “of course Mac Miller,” who you can certainly hear tones of in Jvggy’s “Dirty Tapes” volumes. Both rappers frame their own testimonies technically through a classic East Coast lyricism for a case study on rap, and their work together is so exciting once you recognize how they have masterfully leveraged the techniques mimicking gun sounds and bars over jazzy sonics like Griselda. Do yourself a favor. Listen to “DR BIRDS,” and then play “Sammy’s.”

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A post shared by the one and only. (@itsnvsv) on Jul 4, 2020 at 4:01pm PDT

Today, NVSV and Jvggy released an album together entitled “The Lords” invoking the street. “Gangs were created to protect its people from outside forces that were destroying or vandalizing the community. Often Gangs were met by rival gangs battling over those same streets. Order was created due to unity and street justice. NVSV and Jvggy Hendrix explore this lifestyle, its pros and its cons,” read the album description on Bandcamp. Skits from the 1974 film “The Education of Sonny Carson” filter throughout their album too, emphasizing a “unified black culture,” Jvggy wrote proudly. Until media owned by white people misunderstood and “created negative preconceived notions about” these organized groups like the Black Panther Party, calling them gangs and police dispersed them with fatal bullets. Importantly, NVSV DM’d me Bobby Seale’s speech where he reiterated Huey P. Newton’s basic 10 Point Program of The Black Panther Party. All Black people have ever fought for is the practical defense of their human rights. We have to do that in the face of oppression from white people every day all the time— housing, education, healthcare, workforce, politics, law.

“Many of these ideas aren’t new or revolutionary ideas. We just have to take action,” NVSV finished.

Pk Delay Successfully Releases A Song Every Day in 2019

Pk Delay via Instagram

When you start something, finish it. See it through for your self-discipline. Learn the power of holding yourself accountable. Feel how great you feel when you complete something you’ve put your mind to.

Rapper Pk Delay has achieved a feat. The 25-year-old Pittsburgh native released a song-a-day the entire year of 2019. That’s 365 songs. Can you name something you did consistently every single day for 365 days? What about for 100 days?

Celebrate Pk for keeping his word and expanding upon his work ethic. During video games of Madden and NBA 2K20, while Pk made life very rough for me as I played and lost against him twice, he took time to detail his thoughts about his year-long process.

Read Mr. 365’s interview below, and at the end, listen to the playlist Pk curated himself of his favorite songs he released this year.

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InTheRough: Describe where you were personally and professionally when you made your hit song “Fed Up.”

Pk Delay: I was still living with my parents when I did “Fed Up.” I actually did “Fed Up” maybe four years ago for real. I just sat on it. I was just ‘fed up.’ I feel like everything was the same. It was a feeling I was feeling.

ITR: Have you ever quit anything before, like gave up on something?

Pk: I rage quit on video games.

ITR: [laughs] He said rage quit.

Pk: Yeah, I rage quit in Madden. I don’t really quit anything though. I don’t quit sports. I try to quit bad habits and shit. I quit smoking.

ITR: How long has that been?

Pk: Two years-three years.

ITR: Do you have a favorite song of your 365?

Pk: I like “IM HERE.” I like “EVIL VS YOUNGER SELF.” I like that shit where I get real deep and spiritual with it. I know you were a big “No Lil Pups” fan.

ITR: I was a big “No Lil Pups” fan.

Pk: Which song do you like now?

ITR: I like that track you have with $toney and Pet Zebra— “The Boy.”

What has dropping a song every day for a year taught you about yourself?

Pk: Stick to my word. Stay loyal to myself. If I say I’m going to do something, do that shit no matter what it is. I want people to say anything that came out of my mouth is something I did. Me saying something so bold like 365 songs in a year I’m going to make it happen. Stay dedicated. I had all of those qualities, but the main thing is sticking to things I say I will do.

ITR: What’s your deal with jeans. You have a lot of song titles with the word ‘jeans.’ You got “My Jeans” and “Skinny Jean Thuggin’.”

Pk: I got a lot of jeans in my wardrobe. The “My Jeans” song was because I bought a new pair of jeans and somebody told me they were looking hard. I always make songs about clothes and swag. The “Skinny Jean Thuggin’” I just did that ‘cause I like skinny jeans.

ITR: That whole project—”Pittsburgh City Limits”— was hard.

Pk: I fuck with that heavy.

ITR: It was quality all around. Everybody on that project should have been on that project and everybody brought their A-game. One800 brought the production value.

Pk: They brought that out.

ITR: I noticed you’ve uploaded some older tracks you once released years ago, like “Ain’t Nothin” with Slicky Williams.

Pk: Yeah, I know I have a lot of fans who haven’t heard some of that stuff. Sometimes I hop into the catalog I’m like, “I know niggas never heard this. Let me throw that shit in there.” [Pk sings “Ain’t Nothin” and I join in]. Is that what you got going on? Is that what you’re into? Slick always do that shit.

ITR: What, delete songs?

Pk: Yeah, but I respect it. I wish I could do that.

ITR: I mean you’re about to with all these songs from this year that you will delete on January 1, 2020.

Pk: Yup. Put a whole project up. Take it down.

ITR: Talk about the producers you work with.

Pk: My main guys for real: dirtbag, DV and Bill$up. DV is the main one for real. He supplies me with the most heat. Then there’s the ID Labs fellas. As far as picking the music, I just go with what I feel when I hear it. I like bass. I like shit I can get emotional on.

ITR: Yeah, I’ve seen you drop a lot of freestyles.

Pk: A lot of freestyles off the top of my head.

ITR: How do you feel now since you’ve reached your goal of releasing a song a day for a year straight?

Pk: Feels like it’s time to restore myself.

Albums You Need In Your Life

One800 - Pittsburgh City Limits

Beat-smiths, One800 deliver a body of work representative of the musical acts in the city of Pittsburgh. Their executively produced album distributed under their own business One800 Music LLC, “Pittsburgh City Limits,” champions fellow artists who have made music in the ‘Burgh and added to its culture before moving on to other successes around the country.

Notably, My Favorite Color was the muse for One800. He rapped on countless beats of theirs and used their musicality to expand his flows and messages. My Favorite Color and NVSV completely smash the first track on the album “Adios.” NVSV also shines on track eight with Pet Zebra called “Laidoff.” Benji. checks in the project to update us on his ascension as he advances his career just finishing a nationwide tour with rap duo EarthGang. R&B songstress and rapper Deej commands your attention with her track “Trust.” Watch several music videos from the “Pittsburgh City Limits” album like Fat Corey’s for “Late Night Shift.” You should thoroughly enjoy the album throughout its entirety. Explore the other artists who feature on the album. Clara Kent and Isaac Lewis are a good start.

Princess Nostalgia - Thank Heavens 4 Opposable Thumbs

Delivering her debut album, Princess Nostalgia was sure each song sounded “polished.” She’s lived with some of this work for three years. On “Thank Heavens 4 Opposable Thumbs,” Princess Nostalgia re-releases six songs taking pride in her production and vocals. Nostalgia’s music can shine as listeners absorb her best. The newest songs on the project are bookends— “No Guru” opens the album fluttery like tropical drums, and “Love Me Long Time” completes the record as a proclamation for self-love.

Drake - War

Still from the “War” music video directed by Theo Skudra

Spin the new Drake single “War.” There are strong Grime textures from across the pond how Drizzy raps in this song and the music accompanies a cool video of Drake on a ski trip. Further, Drake reported “EL KUUMBA,” a mixtape by Oliver El-Khatib in collaboration with the Japanese incense company Kuumba International.

Songs for a Mosh Pit at Creatives Drink 10 (Playlist)

Pittsburgh could have a rage on its hands. The city’s hottest rappers have a chance to rock a notable venue with mosh pits and good energy from a packed audience. Music will motivate people to attend the show on July 25, 2019, thanks to Creatives Drink 10— a free-of-charge culture consumption fair.

Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey, the founders of Creatives Drink, repeatedly create environments conducive to positive interactions with cool people and businesses to consumers.

With music at the forefront this time, they partnered with music sharing database Songlink for a local artist showcase where Pittsburgh hip-hop has a place to celebrate. Other local aspects of C.D. 10 are compelling, like the event’s sponsorship by streetwear stalwart Shop412, or the funny hosts Drinking Partners. The potential energy already emanating from this event just off the musical star power highlights here though.

Flyer by Hounds

Rappers like Pk Delay, My Favorite Color and Slicky Williams should navigate their catalogs to present themselves and excite the crowd. Fans should hear Choo Jackson’s upcoming hit, “Chevy.” LiveFromTheCity has an opportunity to back up his statement as the best rapper in the ‘Burgh. Benji., Clara Kent and Mars Jackson should create a winning streak tying together sold-out hometown shows at acclaimed venues such as Stage AE for C.D. 10. The co-founder of Soulection Andre Power will headline a DJ set too.

Listen to this playlist to anticipate the event. The selection is charged with a party in mind where mosh pits open up and we all smash together in a ring of fun when the bass drops. Every C.D. 10 artist in the showcase features on the playlist, so let the party ensue.