Steve 'Flash' JuonHere we are again talking about another posthumous album. Lil Yase was murdered in 2020, two suspects were arrested then released 48 hours later with no charges in 2021, and “Gang Shxt” was released in 2022. Jadakiss once said “you know dead rappers get better promotion” as a punchline, but the older I get the closer it becomes to literal truth. It’s realistic to think “Gang Shxt” wouldn’t have even come out if he hadn’t passed away. Yase certainly didn’t believe anybody had his best interests at heart but himself, as he openly complained about “Fake Love” everywhere he looked.
The twist here is that Yase actually had a lot of love. He has G-Val on this song as a guest, and a lot of the spotlight on what might be Yase’s last album is shared with other folks too. “Bum Bitch Pt. 2” features PacBezelUp. “EA” has Hardbody Nut on it, and “Backends” has LVZ. It doesn’t matter that I never heard of them before Lil Yase, it matters that Lil Yase gave them the time when he had so little left and didn’t even know it. While the image on his album and the attitude he gives off in his bars is no trust for others, he had enough to put other rappers on his own project.
In fact “Backends” is my favorite track of the whole set. It’s got some serious Bay Area thump and LVZ has as much personality as any of Yase’s friends. This brings me to a point I’d rather not make because it feels like I’m talking down on him, but since Yase didn’t want “Fake Love” from anyone I’d rather keep it real as fuck here — his delivery is like uncooked rice straight out of the bag. It’s hella dry. I thought the late Drakeo was a single pitch raspy emcee, but Yase could have given him a run for his money, so there’s gonna be some weird concerts in the afterlife featuring both men.
These days image is everything, and Yase certainly wanted to project toughness, even if it was at the expense of his vocal delivery or the topics he could rap about lyrically. It bothers me that Yase isn’t around to tell me that I’ve got it all wrong and “Gang Shxt” is a masterpiece. Bro I’d love to argue with you about it all day. We could chop it up, agree to disagree, and I’d cover your next project and see what had changed since the last one. He’s not here though and his murder remains unsolved. There’s no justice in this rap game, just an endless parade of funeral processions and closed caskets.