While surfing YouTube this past week, I came across a video called "Angst" by New York rapper T.Shirt. I was immediately enticed by the old-school boom-bap drumbeat and the meandering horn section, but was soon assaulted by an aggressive onslaught of profanity.
Though the stream of curses was at first off-putting, it became apparent that T.Shirt meant for this song—fully titled "Old Man Angst"—to be a musical outlet for his rants and diatribes.
It was only after I was midway through that I realized how mesmerizing the video was. Upon replaying the song, I was able to fully appreciate the beautiful laziness of the music video—shot from the perspective of T.Shirt as he wanders through the streets of New York and lets his eyes settle on various advertisements, women, bums, and street workers.
Strictly speaking, T.Shirt does not do anything particularly revolutionary, but there is something alluring about his self-presentation. Despite being a fairly underground artist, his music videos are well-directed and, as on "Old Man Angst," refreshingly vintage. T. Shirt raps with a confident, laidback lyricism that perfectly blend with his simple combination of kick and snare beats that harkens back to the roots of the genre.
We get insight into T.Shirt's rap persona through other details in his music videos. In "Never LOL," he raps, "Real gangsters never LOL," but says so with a smirk and even lets out a few chuckles during the track. While he makes these satirical snaps, the video focuses subtly on treble clef tattoo on T.Shirt's neck and a cigar he casually puffs in nearly every video of his on YouTube.
Part of T.Shirt's allure is how real he appears in his videos. No backup dancers in skimpy lingerie. No bling thrown around. Just him in his puffy vest, jeans and fitted cap as he mockingly raps about who real gangsters are.
Nevertheless, with songs as candidly titled as "My B---- Don't Even Like Me," it's hard not to be a fan of the new album. This cool honesty is becoming of the simplicity and sincerity of T.Shirt's music videos.
Such earnestness extends to sincere and critical observations about his painful upbringing in his new album, "The F---." Over the eerie piano riffs in "I Never Knew Money," we learn: "My father was a gambler but he cleaned up / One long weekend we thought he might've been dead / He went missing and didn't come home for three days / Finally showing up, guess what this motherf---er said / That he was locked in the basement of where he worked with no food due to a crazy accident / We found out that was complete bulls--t, he disappeared to play horses and gamble the f---ing rent."
Ever a victim of circumstance, T.Shirt had his MacBook Pro—studio sessions and all—stolen from his car in Miami in December. Since he could not go back to those studio sessions, T.Shirt would either have to start all over again or release what he had as is. T.Shirt chose the latter and that is what we are left with on "The F---."
Amazingly, the 10-track album sounds professional despite the lack of engineering that would have otherwise gone into it.
Another tune that contends for strongest on the album is "Puerto Rican Rum." Though just under two minutes long, its lyrics manage to be clever and heartfelt. (Interestingly enough, the production actually comes from Mike G of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.)
Lastly, "Southside Phantom" has a funky groove where T.Shirt ups the energy and switches up his rapping speed, which beautifully mirrors the syncopation of the drumbeat.
I am always excited to hear some great new East Coast rap, and T.Shirt's new album fits the bill.
When Drake's melodramatic woes about being a super-rich 25-year-old are boring you, T.Shirt's new album and YouTube videos are sure to breathe new life into your hip-hop playlist.