If you don’t know Hopsin, you apparently don’t listen to hip hop. No, not that shit the radio, television and the clubs force down your throat. I’m talking about real hip hop, raw and straight from the underground. The type of rap that calls out the bullshit, questions reality and tells it like it is.
Anyone who is familiar with the Los Angeles artist knows that Hopsin tells it like it is. From his critical “Ill Mind of Hopsin” tracks to his “Kill Her” track–about Eazy-E’s widow after Hopsin’s falling out with former record label, Ruthless Records–, he holds no punches and says whatever the fuck he wants. And afterall, isn’t that what hip hop is supposed to be?
Birthed in the run-down streets of New York and Los Angeles, it emerged 30 years ago as a public awareness announcement about how life really was for millions of people in this country. After decades of mainstream co-opting, the genre has turned into a glorified commercial, promoting alcohol, partying and acquiring material possessions most Americans will never be able to afford. Thankfully, Hopsin rejects all of it. This is the same dude that once tweeted, “I can’t stand Hollywood bitches. Show your worth through your mind not your jewelry, fake friends and your fake tits.”
On October 7, 2016, Hopsin played a killer show at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz to fans excitement. This was my second time seeing him live and once again, he did not disappoint. His energy and anger was in full form and he blazed through a set of fan–and his own–favorites throughout his career. He’s easily one of the best rappers performing today, even if the radio won’t play his tracks. Shit, that just makes him more credible.