Philmore Greene - Ghost Of Roc-A-Fella
What does Chicago hip hop sound like? Back in 2012, drill music made a colossal explosion onto the hip hop scene with artists such as Chief Keef, Lil Durk, and Lil Bibby leading the way. However, as time progressed so has the sound of the Chi Town. It's strange, but people forget that prominent hip hop artists such as Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Kanye west are actually from Chicago. Today, Chicago is represented by outspoken visionary artists such as Vic Mensa, Chance the Rapper, and BJ The Chicago Kid just to name a few. It's apparent that Chicago is still a hotbed of musical talent and Philmore Greene is a great example of how Chicago hip hop is currently transcending its grimy hip hop reputation. Philmore Greene is what one might call a true hip hop emcee. Greene's track, Ghost of Roc-A-Fella is not only an ode to his favorite music label growing up. It is also a testimony as to why he deserves a deal with the major label (or any major label for that matter). He makes this claim by confidently stating, "Salute to Roc Nation/ I need that plane like a hijack". His confidence is apparent throughout the track and this is a key component to standing out and staking your claim in hip hop. His lyricism is both clever and witty, and there are several examples throughout the song to support this. The Ron Jeremy line at 0:32 is humorous and the wordplay here is very well done. It's always a good thing when artists mention the infamous booty crusader, and those bars should be appreciated by any true hip hop fan. Ghost of Roc-A-Fella is exactly what you want in a song that's true to the roots of hip hop. There's storytelling, intelligently crafted lyrics, and cohesive production that soothes the mind and subtly takes the backseat to the story being told instead of drowning out the lyrics with heavy basslines and melodies. As Philmore Greene progresses and grows with his music, it should only be a matter of time before he becomes a household name. And Greene seems to be in no hurry to expedite his progress as he states, "Philly could be 90/ he gon still be in his prime."
