IAMSU! hails from the Bay Area, whose scene is poised to make some major headway this year, if the past twelve months were any indication. The last time Northern California was this exciting, hyphy was in full swing, Too $hort and E-40 were releasing tapes at a dizzying rate, and Mac Dre was king. Since then, a lot of things have changed, even though E-40 is still dropping albums quicker than quicksand. There is a whole new crop of young, talented emcees and producers who are plotting on a global takeover. IAMSU! and his HeartBreak Gang are vanguards in this respect; they combine modern club and party sounds with distinctive Bay elements that create a unique and extravagant sound. It is a style that hasn't been heard in the mainstream or national underground for sometime, and it could only have originated in NorCal.
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IAMSU's latest track is an ode to his crew and their seemingly limitless potential, aptly titled "I Love My Squad". Su might not pack his bars with Eminem-esque density, which has you looking up the lyrics , in your quest to decipher what each line means in relation to one another. However, his control over his flow is second to almost no one. It's not that he doesn't utilize impressive wordplay or speak about important topics, rather, it is more impressive to hear how he packages them. On this track especially, he rides this jerky beat with relative ease: "You should ignore these rappers mayne/They say anythang/Call me Suzzy Piggy Bank/I got plenty change/ She reps HBK the gang/Over Everything.' He can goes quite sometime without breaking rhyme scheme, and he pulls it off effortlessly. When you combine his dexterous flow with the interesting, oftentimes crazy, production, it becomes hard to pull yourself away from his music.
This track is noticeable more poppy than his other work, which deserve more than just a listen. IAMSU's mixtape, Kilt 2, was an underground gem and helped to propel him into national spotlight. You can find it and more of his music on HBK's soundcloud or their website, both perfect places to begin your tour through the Bay.
