Papo2oo4 and Subjxct 5’s “Quickspeed” Transforms Tri-State Rap Into a Castlevania Level
New Jersey and New York hip-hop visionaries unite to punch us in the face with digital grit
Papo2oo4 and Subjxct 5 embody the past and the future of tri-state area rap music. Papo, who spent a chunk of his childhood in Washington Heights before settling in Elizabeth, New Jersey, blends his baritone into a mix of vintage G-Unit and modern street rap flows that can adapt to any beat. Subjxct, for his part, produces with the intensity of a DJ Clue cue toward weirder, spacier sounds. This is a duo that can crank out a song called “Smile Like G-Unit” that wouldn’t sound out of place on either 2003’s Beg for Mercy or in the infinite depths of a Soundcloud playlist. They’ve been indie rap darlings for some time, earning co-signs from the likes of New York stalwart Wiki and Arizona rapper-producer RiTchie. Their hot streak continues on “Quickspeed,” a standout from their Bernie Mac-referencing project Mr. 3000, that rumbles with digital grit.
Subjxct’s mix of synths and punishing drums can sometimes evoke 8-bit video game soundtracks as much as anything from Cam’ron’s Purple Haze era. “Quickspeed” takes that sensibility in a darker direction, with blips, slaps, and kick-drum punches that turn the streets of Elizabeth into a Castlevania level. Papo bobs and weaves through them well, turning baseball references (“Pop A-Rod, Gary Sheff, and you Pokey Reese”), Pokemon shout-outs, and recreational drugs into steely shit-talk. “Only smokin’ ‘za, no antidepressants/Do you if that’s your preference,” he says, sounding both sincere and sly at the same time. Papo and Subjxct’s world is both bully and silly, as likely to harp on their jet-setting travels as Papo’s vintage clothing collection. Come in and kick it, but don’t get too comfortable: there’s no telling where Papo and Subjxct will take you next.
