Dead Prez - Gangsta, Gangster ft. Styles P

As has been stated so many times before, the substitution of an ‘er’ for an ‘a’ can turn a term some hold as a point of pride into one of the vilest slurs in the book (and, depending on who you are and who you’re speaking to, steering clear of either spelling may be best).  On this new LP cut, Stic.Man and M-1 of dead prez explain the similar rule that distinguishes Gangsta from Gangster: while the latter describes a common criminal, to qualify as the former you must be a loyal and true man (or woman) of the people.  Like previously-featured cut Stimulus Plan, this record finds the twosome teaming up with DJ Green Lantern, who backs their perceptive verses, along with the equally insightful rhymes of D-Block emcee Styles P., with a midtempo blend of high-impact percussion, vocal samples, and tension-fraught organ riffs.  As usual, dead prez raise plenty of big questions, and fans of their revolutionary rhetoric can find more food for thought on their Pulse of the People EP when it drops June 23rd.  This week, the duo will be recording their contribution to our own exclusive freestyle series—watch for it to hit our front page in the near future.