PICKS POSSE - Week #15
The IP'S PICKS community shares what they're listening to.
Week #15! We’re really doing it, PICKS POSSE. Every Sunday, no skips.
Let’s dive in and see what ya got for us tonight.
5,000 Loveseat: Mic Geronimo “Masta I.C.”
Gather round children and let me tell you of a time long, long ago when lead singles could be mid-tempo head-nodders with shimmering keys and echoing horn samples.
Mic Geronimo had a real interesting (and steep, in both directions) career arc. I know I’m not the only one who felt the whiplash from The Natural to Vendetta—going from “Masta I.C.” to the Puff-orchestrated “Nothin’ Move But The Money” within a span of two years was definitely a choice and unfortunately one that did not pay off. (I think it got him on an MTV reality show, so your mileage may vary.) I’m not one to judge (except when I am) but I just don’t think it’s what people were looking for him at the time. Similar to AZ, Mic seemed like one of those dudes that had all the pieces in place but just couldn’t find a way to break through in a meaningful way.
But back to “Masta I.C.”—aside from Buckwild doing prime Buckwild type things with the track, it really is tough to beat the elegant simplicity and effectiveness of this chorus, even in 2025. Mic’s blunted delivery is chock full of enduring quotables which makes for a combination so potent, you’re liable to catch a contact high from just hearing this song.
Noah: Slick Rick “Moses”
Perhaps the best Old Testament biblical hip-hop song of all-time? Slick Rick storytelling at his best over a hypnotic beat. It wasn’t a single, so it didn’t get as much attention as the other three songs they put out as 12"s , but it’s my favorite song off the album.
Robbie Ettelson: 4th Quarter “C-Notes & Grants (Remix)”
After recently finding both the CD and record versions of Da Youngsta’s I’ll Make U Famous album at different spots, I noticed that despite the fact that they no longer had the budget for big name producers (having been dropped from East/West and being released on their old man’s Pop Art label), some of the beats were really good.
The dude responsible for the audio highlights is Emanuel Parks (who also raps on the posse cut), and it’s worth copping both of the twelves from the album just for the instrumentals. Parks also produced some other Philly acts, and thanks to the wonders of Discogs I found this piece of 1996 rap perfection in the form of his remix for a rapper named 4th Quarter. Sadly there’s no instro for this mix—and even if there was, I don’t fancy my chances of ever finding this out in the wild—but please enjoy the simple delights of echoing horns over sombre keys, just as all good rap music should be.
Max Makes Music: Boom Kitty and Teminite “Heave Ho”
I recently took a 14-year-old to school for morning drop-off and he played me some tunes off his Bluetooth-enabled stripped-down flip phone.
This track from Boom Kitty jumped out of the speakers. Legit pirate shanty, and then, suddenly, we are head nodding with gusto to some truly sick dubstep. Boom Kitty is a wizard producer, and I, my friends, am hip again.
Scro-Scro: Andre Nickatina “Ayo for Yayo”
This song is from the height of the Rick Ross, Jeezy Trap or Die era (2003), but I heard it for the first time today on one of my favorite DJ’s mixes, Four Color Zack. Thought I’d share with ya’ll in case this one slipped past your nasals back in the slob era as well.
Paul Meara: Prodigy “H.N.I.C.”
In 2000, Prodigy was arguably the best rapper in hip-hop. Sure, he had some of his most memorable moments on The Infamous and Hell On Earth, but by the time Murda Muzik dropped in Summer ‘99, P was a master of his craft. H.N.I.C. is the Queensbridge emcee at his best and the album’s title track is all the evidence you need. Just Prodigy talking his shit. He sets the trends and you get the dick. Happy 25th anniversary to P’s solo!
Al Jones: Mobb Deep ft. Nas and Jorja Smith “Down for You”
It’s refreshing to hear Havoc on wax again. It’s even crazier to hear Prodigy’s vocals back on a track in 2025. But that is what we have with “Down For You,” a dope single from latest Mobb Deep LP, Infinite.
I didn’t think Mobb Deep would ever record or perform again after Prodigy passed away in 2017. But on October 10th, Mobb Deep dropped Infinite, their 9th studio album, and this joint is a throwback to the heat Havoc and P dropped all throughout their illustrious career. Nas lended a helping hand to “Down for You” with a dope verse showcasing his versatile word play and Jorja Smith blesses the chorus with her sultry voice. This song sounds relevant, current, and needed. That’s how I felt about the entire Infinite album. Not everyone sounds right on their posthumous releases, but for some reason, Prodigy is killing the mic all over this album.
Mobb Deep entered my life in 1995 with their second studio album, The Infamous. That album, known for the classic tracks “Shook Ones, Pt. II” and “Eye for an Eye” catapulted Mobb Deep up the ranks into premier status in hip-hop at that time. They became East Coast royalty with a collection of street anthems that were quintessential New York. As the Mobb shined as a duo throughout their career, both P and Havoc collaborated with many other successful hip hop artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Kool G Rap, and Lil’ Kim, just to name a few. They even appeared on a Mariah Carey track, a remix to “The Roof (Back in Time).”
Fans of old school Mobb Deep will be happy to hear and know that the band has not lost any of their sound or the essence of who they are on Infinite. And “Down For You” is a great opportunity to show that Mobb Deep can still make a hard ass club joint for the fellas and the ladies.
A heavy hip-hop week for the PICKS POSSE (Max’s pirate ship anthem not included). Good shit, fellas. Appreciate the consistency and passion with the picks. Let’s keep it going.
Make sure you save the PICKS POSSE playlist below to stream all the heat.
One!