A 10-track mixtape is all it took for rapper Czar Josh to fully examine his sentiments of hurt & pains, to the pride and joys of being a young black man from Georgia. LongLiveUs is Czar Josh’s latest release with appearances from other artists like Phil J., Big Yae, and Kham.
One of the standout tracks, "Whatchu Know" where Josh spits about growing up in the South and the frustrations and hustles that come with that. “Black Taxes” is another number where he goes in on ways he would love to see the black community invest in each other.
Speaking on the mixtape in entirety, Josh explained, “An ode to a Bebe’s Kids line that ‘We don’t die, we multiply.’ That’s the black community in a nutshell. No matter what the world throws at us we live. No matter the obstacles, we live. We have joy. That’s the mixtape.”
In the production, you can clearly hear the earnest lo-fi elements of a mixtape feel. Fuzzy record player static plays across the project that hits you with a nostalgic classic hip-hop rapping style. The tracklist includes production from Enzo Gran, Killawatts, and Avila. The idea of a mixtape is kind of blurry in 2021. Yet, Josh hits us with a compilation of vibes even in his central theme of American blackness braided through the body of work.
Throughout LongLiveUs this Georgia boy touches on bad drinking habits, oppressive systems in our country, and an upheaval sense of gravitas. Despite that, the tape closes with a message of hope and silver linings. The title track and bookend, “LONGLIVEUS”, he talks of sticking together, readjusting to our hurdles, and conquering against the battles coming our way both external and internal.
