Life in the Concrete Jungle in stores Sept 16th B.G. & CHOPPER CITY BOYZ
There must be something musically inspiring in those murky swamp waters that surround the city of New Orleans. Whether the shrill horns of second line bands, smoke-filled jazz clubs, or even the city’s long-standing presence in hip-hop, the banks of the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain and Gulf of Mexico have given birth to some of the most eclectic blends of street music the world has ever known.
After the undisputed success of B.G. & Chopper City Boyz’ debut album, We Got This which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart, and the lead single, “Make Em Mad,” which was the #3 most added song at radio last year, the Crescent City corners once again demand a follow-up album. The streets will soon be fed with the August 26 release of B.G. & Chopper City Boyz’ Chopper City/Asylum compilation album Life in the Concrete Jungle. Fueled by the club-ready lead single “Bubble Gum” featuring New Orleans artist Lady Dolla, B.G. & Chopper City Boyz make hot girls bounce and shake, atop twerky synths, throbbing bass, and crisp snaps.
“With the new single, we are attacking the female fan base- which we’ve never done. And I’m definitely feeling the response. The streets have been embracing us. They never lost love for us,” says Gar, who earned his moniker for a one-time love for stogies. “We’re not trying to cross over, but make them cross over to us, step all over it, and put our swag over it.”
Consisting of Snipe (Travis Edwards) and Gar (Vandell Smith), the group was founded in 2003. Each member was handpicked by B.G. (Christopher Dorsey) himself. A native of New Orleans East, Gar was attending Southern University at New Orleans majoring in business when Hakim (B.G.’s younger brother) asked him to join him and B.G. on the road touring. Opting to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Gar put his education on hold, withdrew from school in 1991 and hasn’t looked back since. “Being in the position to have our music introduced by a legend like B.G. is a compliment. We’re from the same place, so we know he understands where our lyrics come from,” explains Gar.
Like his partner in rhyme, Snipe was also born in New Orleans East. Named by his neighborhood friends, Snipe was crowned with his handle for his ability to always be on the lookout, his reputation for having eyes in the back of his head and his quick capacity to scope things out. Rapping since the age of 17, Snipe earned a named for himself locally putting other rappers to shame in school talent shows. His slick swagger and mean style garnered the attention of B.G., who shortly after meeting Snipe signed him to his newly formed Chopper City Records.
“Gar actually came up through my brother, Hakim aka Hakizzle, who was working on his solo project,” explains B.G. “They grew up together on the same block and Hakim and Gar would come kick it in the studio with me and I told Gar to spit something and he came real with it,” explains B.G. “Snipe was brought thru by one of my previous managers, Troy Lawrence. He came in my office with him and I asked him to show me what he had and he came with it too. I connected Snipe and Gar together and Chopper City Boyz came together!”
“Before I met B.G., I was grinding, doing whatever it took to get money”, shares Snipe. “When I speak, it comes from the heart. I rhyme about what goes on in the hood, about my life experiences and hot ways to get money. If you check me out, you’ll hear that I’m versatile and I have a couple of different styles. I’m an original!”
After cranking out volumes of hood-certified mixtapes, their debut album We Got This, dropped in 2007 - gaining fans almost instantly. Before they hit them back-to-back with classic albums, B.G. decided to build the momentum in the streets with the August 26th release of B.G. & Chopper City Boyz’ Chopper City/Asylum compilation album Life In The Concrete Jungle.
“The Chopper City Boyz have grown from being boys to men. We were in the studio working on shit and when I heard their verses on these songs, I stepped back and said dam these n****s are really ready. They stepped up their game since I first met them. Everybody knows The Chopper City Boyz in the south because they’ve made appearances on my last four studio albums before releasing their own debut album, We Got This, so people were waiting for something from them. We had a huge radio hit with their last single, “Make Em Mad,” and chilled at the #1 spot on the Billboard Indy Charts so as the Head N@%$a In Charge, I feel the streets are ready for more of Snipe and Gar!!!”
“We branded ourselves a whole lot more this time with this compilation and we’re gearing up for our sophomore album.” says Snipe. “Now that fans are more familiar with our music, I got a lot of people coming up to me and asking when will there be another Chopper City Boyz album, so I know they’re expecting us and we gonna give them some heat to hold onto until our albums drop.”
Featuring cameos from C-Murder, UTP artist Skip, CTE trapper Bloodraw, ATL bad boy Rocko and Grand Hustle muscle, Alfamega, Life In The Concrete Jungle will be well worth the wait.
The first single from the compilation, “Bubble Gum,” featuring B.G. & Chopper City Boyz with Lady Dolla, produced by Joe Blow da C.E.O., showcases The Chopper City Boyz’s versatility. “Most of the tracks on our album are gritty street bangaz so we decided to flip our sound from what the fans would expect for the first single, ‘Bubble Gum,’ explains Snipe. “And we can’t forget the ladies,” adds Gar. “We have a special relationship with the shorties, so Bubble Gum was a little something for them to bounce to.” Over playful, mid-tempo production of another catchy, radio-friendly “Don’t Step On My White Feet,” they ask for at least 50 feet of personal space to avoid having their crisp, white shoes being stepped on.
On Life In The Concrete Jungle, Chopper City Boyz provide ample dance floor soundtracks while remaining as gutter as they have always been. On the grimy “Keep It Real,” they put fake rappers
