Smoke DZA & Kendrick Lamar Live “Uptown 81” (Listen & Download)

I know I threw a "Stoner Rap" tag onto this new Smoke DZA joint (pun intended), and frankly there's no shortage of evidence to give him that label, but this "Uptown 81" is only about marijuana in the most indirect sense. This isn't stoner rap, this is just dope rap, period.

First off, apparently there are some folks out there who aren't feeling Hit-Boy's beat, but I think they're on crazy pills. The strings over that hard hitting percussion give "Uptown" a really cinematic feel - there's got to be a video in the works for this - and Kendrick Lamar proves it with an epic opening verse that proves yet again that he deserves all the recent hype. DZA does more of the same, dropping a punchline filled yet deep verse that solidifies the track's foundation. Plus he lays out a hilarious Yung Berg reference, which I know RefinedHype Nation in particular will enjoy. The hook could use some work, but it's a small complaint in comparison to so much dopeness.

Between this and "The Early Days of George", I'm starting to think DZA's upcoming album, "T.H.C. (The Hustlers Catalog)", will be one hell of a mixalbum. Go cop it when it drops in early February.

Download "Uptown 81" Directly