BeYoung, who is one-third of the collective known as PacDiv, has released his first solo project titled Daily Bread: My Brother’s Keeper. In this tape, he describes the changes he’s gone through from his past group work to where he is now with his solo work.
Right off the bat, “Angel Sing” starts off with a church choir singing behind what seems to be BeYoung taking a puff of that loud. BeYoung let’s us know that he’s about to “fuck shit up”. He talks about how we all need “bread and water just to get through the times” and how it “costs our legs just to live on our knees” making another reference to the religious theme of this song.
“Cream of Wheat” comes up next on this tape with a smooth guitar for the beat along with BeYoung saying he stays “sucka free.” He tells us that if we saw things how he sees them then it might even help us breathe different. He tells his girl that while in their garden, he’ll make sure they turn the grapes into their own yak to drink from. He refers to his life as a movie when he says he “switched the scene” but he “stuck to the script.” BeYoung also knows that he’s too ahead of his time, that’s why his watch is broken. Hope he’s got an extended warranty on that Rolex..
“Green Light” comes in with police sirens and helicopter blade sounds. Very inner city like. BeYoung let’s us know that by now, he’s “seasoned” by now in this rap game but dudes are “still getting salty.” And “with a flow like that, for a coast like that, how the fuck these niggas not me?” After this song I think we all wanna be BeYoung just for a day. Remember the Principal For A Day contests at school? Nah fuck that, now let’s have Be BeYoung For A Day.
His previously released single “Spoz’d 2” comes in next. BeYoung straight off tells us that he has “no gimmicks, I woke up this way.” He also shows us his discomfort with national banks telling us that he keeps his “knots in a sneaker box cuz I can’t trust Chase.” I don’t know if a sneaker box is more secure than a safe, but I’m sure BeYoung got a special shoe box made for him. He keeps talking about things that he’s “spoz’d 2” to now that he’s “been that child since birth, these niggas barely on.”
Next is “Off N That” where he tells us how he’s been off in that, he’s been taking money and buying stock “like a white guy” which reminds me of Ye saying “you know white people get money […] buy a business” except now BeYoung is dipping his feet in the stock market. He also says in the second verse how he “doesn’t see opponents.” No one can touch BeYoung right now, he’s flying high. Miss Smith ends it off singing how she’s been “off n that” as well.
“Top Flight” is next on the tracklist in which he shows us why he’s top flight as of the moment. He says how him and his group, PacDiv, have “done upped the fee.” It’s not the same game anymore. He also admits that he came into the game with his back against the wall but “now at the shows, got em packed to the wall.” Oh how the tables turn.
Following this is “Daily Bread” with a smooth jazzy vocal sample behind the sounds of an organ. He enlightens us by revealing that he’s “in tune with the moon and the stars” and how there’s more to life than “quick fame and limelight.” He makes sure that we “pray to God cuz we all going a little crazy.” The more I listen to this song, the quicker it becomes my favorite on the tape.
Coming up next is the “Shower(Interlude)”. BeYoung talks here about no one can change what he’s seen or gone through. He shows us a contradictory phrase in which his homies are “reading Psalms and they palms on they metal.” I’ve never read a Psalm that condones violence, but then again I might be wrong. The title does kind of indicate the obvious though; that BeYoung is singing on the hook like he would if he sang in the shower. Everyone is the greatest singer in the shower, but I would shy away from singing too much if I’m BeYoung. But other than that, a great little interlude.
“Still Won’t Know” hits us hard right after with BeYoung telling us that he can teach us how to get that dough but we “still won’t know” how to afterwards. And he doesn’t offer any after class tutoring either if we don’t get it. Damn. He knows how to do a bunch of different things that he can try to teach us, but we still won’t get it. Maybe it’s because he’s “been that child since birth” like stated in a previous song.
Upcoming is “Candy Rain” which seems like a song dedicated to his ride or die, his main girl. He wonders how she got it so fat, how she fit all that in them jeans. Sometimes I walk around town and wonder this myself. BeYoung knows that this girl will call him late at night but he doesn’t mind and tells her not to worry about his ex girls, they were just a couple dirty dishes. Ouch.
“7 Igga Fitch” comes up next in which BeYoung contemplates about getting bread, specifically in the 7 figures. Even 7 figures won’t help me pay off my student loans though, but I’m sure it could help BeYoung out. He talks about how he’s “heavy in the game” and is able to “switch lanes” without using his brake lights. I think BeYoung is the reason for all the traffic I get on the 605 coming home from work. Someone’s gotta attend traffic school soon.
“Real Deal Holyfield” is one of the shorter tracks on the tape coming in at a minute twenty. Not much to say about this song, pretty much the only thing BeYoung says is how there hasn’t been anything or anyone like him in a minute. The rest of the song is really a repetition of 2 or 3 phrases. Not much lyrical content, if that’s what you’re looking for.
“Centerfold” starts talking about a girl that knows she’s fine or the “centerfold”, as if she’s the only one. She won’t lie about her getting that bread, “she earned every crumb”. However, BeYoung knows for sure that he’s got a hold of the game on his right hand, and if he’s lying, he dares you to testify against him.
“Parking Lot” starts off with Ed Bone noticing that his girl is acting nervous, “fighting off them urges” that he knows she has. He’s gonna have her “sounding like someone’s getting murdered.” The hook makes it sound like a side chick anthem though because Ed says he’s about to take her out to the parking lot and give her the business there. Not the most romantic location for a night out but if you’re the side chick, then I guess you ain’t complaining. BeYoung then comes in with one of the wittier lines on the tape: “Let me lay back and hit my smoke, trees in the air, ain’t Christmas though, she under my sleeve then under my jeans trying to kiss it, ain’t no mistletoe.” I just hope she ain’t trying to unwrap the presents early either..
“Only Right” comes in second to last with a mellow beat that you can easily vibe to while driving. BeYoung comes in rapping like if he’s taking his victory lap. He’s “been a champ” because he eats his Wheaties. And with this kind of effort, I’m sure he’ll make it to the cover of that box one day.
“Fair Onez” finishes the project and opens up his verse with a thought that I’m pretty sure has crossed the mind of a lot of people at some point or another: while talking to God, he says “it’s crazy how you take the sickest niggas when they still young.” That’s something I know I’ve contemplated about at a point in my life too. BeYoung asks God if he should feel numb now whenever one of his young homies has his life taken away because it’s happened so often. This song might be in contention for being the best one on the tape along with “Daily Bread.” The lyrical content of it goes deeper other songs on this tape do and it’s really a nice listen once you finish it.
Overall, a nice solo effort by BeYoung, I’ll be looking out for him more frequently to see what he has next and also what PacDiv and their members have planned for the future. – Jay Lopez
