Bobby Shmurda - "Shmurda She Wrote" - EP

[StevePulaski]

Shmurda She Wrote - EP (2014)
By: Bobby Shmurda

Rating: ★★★½

New York-based rapper Bobby Shmurda, who proudly reminds us of his rap label "GS9" with almost every passing song, took mainstream music by storm when his debut song "Hot N****" hit the airwaves this past summer. The song was like few things mainstream had seen in recent years, combining cut-throat, drill lyricism with a more polished sound quality. The result was a song that offered its own signature dance and an inanely catchy line of one-liners, but also proposed frightening glimpses into the life of its singer, as he states how he has been selling crack since the fifth grade, his father was locked up in "the dog pound" when he was young, and how he'd surprise and attack the opposition with them 16's like he was the police.

"Hot N****" seemed to be Shmurda getting started, however, as Shmurda She Wrote, his first EP and formal release of any kind, shows off considerable heights for such a young rapper in a tumultuous industry. He hits the ground running with "Worldwide N****," featuring fellow GS9 rapper Ty Real, an upbeat anthem boasting how Shmurda and company have went from being relative unknowns to global successes that adhere to their roots. The song is complimented by Real's high-pitched chorus that meshes well with the simplicity of the instrumentals. "Hot N****" follows the song nicely, proving once more that despite simplistic lyricism, the song is infectious and finds ways to grow on whomever listens to it. Shmurda's second single "Bobby Bitch" serves as the third track, and, again, emphasizes Shmurda's skill of cutthroat, vulgar lyricism describing his own life on the streets of New York with the backdrop of the song being bombastic instrumentation to compliment the lyrics.

The EP then hits us with the best new song Shmurda has released, "Living Life," featuring another GS9 member Rowdy Rebel. The song is a briskly-paced track that shows lyrical competence on both parties behalf by reciting lyrics and rhymes that race past fluidly and explode like firecrackers. It's easily the fastest song on Shmurda She Wrote and boasts considerable prose for Shmurda in terms of how he can communicate his flow. Just as the EP is hitting considerable heights, it concludes with Shmurda and Real's "Wipe the Case Away," a methodical track that, with its velvety vocals and casual instrumentals, could pass for an R&B, as Shmurda talks about trying to get a felony expunged from his record and pleading with a lawyer for the judge to wipe the case from his records. The song shows off Shmurda's storytelling abilities, and his ability to provide more substance to living in hostile neighborhoods than just rap sloganeering.

Shmurda She Wrote may be far too short to truly satisfy, but such is the purpose an EP - to give you a taste of the direction a specific performer is heading and leave you wanting more. On that note, Shmurda has succeeded because the sky is the limit for what he can concoct on his forthcoming debut album.

Recommended tracks (in order): "Hot N****," "Living Life," and "Bobby Bitch."