READ: IF IT WASN'T FOR THE WEST X BRUCE LEROY (DECODED)

If you have not played HOME by Bruce Leroy I highly recommend you stop reading this after the period and come back when you're finished. 

If you are still playing HOME by Bruce Leroy & 1stBorn then you have heard If It Wasn't For The West - but we aren't sure that you have listened to it. HOME overall was curated and release in a way to dispel the 'backpacker' identity PUBLICATIONS have tried to give Leroy NOT THE PEOPLE. The people consider his sound to be modern but 'bars first' is the term used frequently. Jackie Brown, Jooganometry, Welcome To The Party these are all songs where the beat, concept and cadence are for you on a silver platter and the bars are garnish. If It Wasn't For The West is the antonym to the album - from concept to content it's the gem of the album. It feels like a must to draw the comparison of Lupe and his early verbal Olympics that took the coded effect of lyricism to another level. That is what Leroy decided to channel with IIWFTW, 90% of the words are either a place, artist, brand, song or album title from the West coast. There are a lot of clever uses of album and song titles that threw me for a loop. So I asked Leroy to decode the song for us exclusively, peep the verses below and open that extra tab to double check his work, then take 5 minutes to absorb what he did and you just read and head over to bruceleroymusic.bandcamp.com and throw him a little gratis for the history lesson .

VERSE 1:

streets is a mutha kurupt album   and blood is thicker than water (mack 10 movie and album)

 I’m conscious of my daughter (e40 sisters group) and this is for la rasa (kid frost song )

 the joe coolie (and rodney O) of the groupie therapy (pharcyde song)

the soopafly (producer) whorida (group from oakland)  pimp of the year (dru down)no security

i came from the ground up in a major way tho (e40)

i hope i don’t go back to slanging yayo (e40)

the wake up show (sway and king tech radio show) sprinkle me with wit mustard and mayo (e40)

if my eyes are dilated i can work the angles (dilate peoples song)

i paint portrait of a masterpiece (doc song) and you can phil the agony(phildaagony from likwit crew)

a beautiful but deadly (doc song) grand finale (doc song) think

catastrophe (Tash likwit crew) home invasions(ice t song)  its crooks in castles (clothing brand)

scandalous (dj quik song) tonight (dj quik song) the amg (in dj quik crew)  madd circles (w.c madd circle) through seattle 

you just tell me when to go tho the chip in phone (e40)

wit the element of surprise bet i out smart the popo (e40)

c in americas most wanted (ice cube album) endangered pieces (ice cube song)

cross em out and put a k (westside connection song) no this aint no gang graffiti 

shit got quiet on the set (nwa song) when i dru down (the rapper)

see hoobaging(mack 10)  it going down tonight (celly cell) u dog food now (dpg) 

so check your self or express yourself (ice cube and nwa)

a plus (from heiro) thats just a name i call myself (souls of mischief)

season of the sickness (brotha lynch album)  this aint fish head stew (mac dre song)

 lil ghetto boy(dre song) mad wild get that loot (madlib and wild child from loot pack)

VERSE 2:

once upon a time in the projects (ice cube)  they was color blind (ice t)

off the record (hiero) my first impression (ice t song) 2nd to none (the group)of mine 

 no i aint doe boy (cube in boyz in the hood) say hi to the bad guy(cube)

4 for better or worse (pharcyde) i aint shit without my homeboys (kurupt and daz)

super supreme (lady of rage song) young black male (2pac)

hundreds (brand)of Blacscale (brand) connected on the westside(westside connection) now we pac 12

a stones throw (label) away from the golden gate

loaded (lynch) off the 40oz chronic dice (mr doc) bounce rock roller skate (kurupt)

trigger happy (mc eight) oxymoron (school boy) trigger got no heart (mc eight

they throwing hieroglyphics wit they fingers out the car (hiero)

looking for the gangsta the killa and the dope dealer (westside connection)

black superman (above the law) you now we acta fool (king tee) 4 the scrilla (celly cell)

if you feeling like you LIKE RICHIE RICH (the rapper)than pitch in on a party (dj quik)

paparazzi(xzibit) deep cover (dre snoop) power darlene flick with the shotty (ice t cover)

i said on my briefcase was crumbled weed(lynch song)

i aint no playa but I’m sucka free (rapping 4 tay)

i be on some g shit anyway recognize or regulate (warren g)

i don’t like to dream about getting paid (dog)

ya lil crumbsnathers sleeping on my couch and (del the funky)

the body count(ice t) increase to roger trout man 

dead niggas tell no lies

 i don’t dance(Comptons most wanted) fuck a back yard boogie (mack 10) this just music to drive by (cmw)

i can give it to you but you what you gonna (JAYO)

187 proof (SPICE 1) dipping on seven deuce

On very positive note the press for HOME has been phenomenal, lots of people are reaching out to hear what Leroy has to say about his artistry, his community and what is next. Below are his features with Greater Northwest Music's Greater TV and their My Neck of the Wood segment, City Arts Magazine and Seattle Weekly features. 

City Arts Magazine: http://www.cityartsonline.com/articles/album-review-home-bruce-leroy

Seattle Weekly: http://www.seattleweekly.com/music/bruce-leroys-northwest-coast-hip-hop/

Uploaded by Greater TV on 2016-10-07.