When it comes to representing Detroit’s Hip Hop scene, few have carried the flag for as long and consistently as stalwart Icewear Vezzo. A true example of a slow-burning star, he’s been steadily feeding his fanbase for over a decade. With the Motor City currently experiencing a rap renaissance, it’s important to acknowledge Vezzo for his role in laying much of the foundation. Just in case you ever forget though, he reminds you thoroughly on his new album Live From the 6.
“Class of 2024” swings for fences out the gate with incredible and outlandish production matched with Vezzo’s equally outlandish humble brags: “I made mud-sipping cool, I had to put the bottle down.” The DaBaby-assisted “Perfect” that shortly follows feels slightly more phoned in compared to the first two tracks of the album, but it’s the only time that the album’s quality ever wavers. Even then the song is still carried by a luxurious production from B Wolf that features an entrancing jazz horn sample that hooks you in.
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The album quickly picks back up again with a hellacious three-track run of street anthems: “Rap Game,” “Momma Mil,” and finally peaks with the Babyface Ray-featured “Motion (Remix).” G Code and Yarri deliver a fun, bouncy production for the two Detroit rap titans linking up just as they have many times before and crush their respective verses.
“Ain’t Enough” immediately succeeds this high-energy banger with a much more slowed-down and introspective approach. On it, Icewear Vezzo reflects on his life, career, and the burdens he’s had to carry on his journey to success. The second track is deeply vulnerable, with the Quality Control rapper mourning the recent passing of his nephew and sister, even lamenting: “My lil sister died for real, that’s why I’m getting high off mids.”
Live From the 6 feels like a thorough portrait of someone who’s experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. While most of the album features Vezzo rapping with the utmost confidence and swagger, amplified by heavy-hitting bass production, the album is at its best when he takes time to reflect on his trials and tribulations.
“I Ain’t Mad At Ya” is a track, that besides being a nod to 2Pac‘s hit of the same name, is written by someone who is older, wiser, and shares his story in way that’s purely inspirational. He still exudes the utmost confidence (“Getting rich until I retire, I’m too great for falling off“) but it’s the moments he opens to door to his humble beginnings, like when he spits: “I was turnt when I was half as blessed/ Keep a 30 in my belt, that how we had to dress.”
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Overall, Live From the 6 is another solid addition for one of Detroit Hip Hop’s greatest workhorses with consistent quality and larger-than-life exuberance.
RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2024
RECORD LABEL: Quality Control
Listen to Live From The 6 below:
