Special Teamz gotta have it

ILLUSTRATION by LUKE MCGARRY

Many millions of mixtapes before the present, Edo G had to have it: “When you’re in like food in your stomach, they wanna stick with you,” he said, “But when you’re out like Elvis, they wanna dick you.” Boston was (and is) an aspiring satellite city for hip-hop, without the colossal cash-for-hits economies installed in New York and LA. Opportunities for chart-climbing came scarce, so local Edo G (then Ed O.G.) had the matter-of-fact grindist philosophy that comes from coming from climbing up from mostly nothing. Seventeen years since the Ed O.G. (and the Bulldogs) album Life of a Kid in the Ghetto—notably including some track trades with Masta Ace and an album with Pete Rock—Edo returns with Special Teamz, a Boston trio with MCs Jaysaun (ex-Kreators) and Slaine (La Coka Nostra, who learned rap basics at 20 when MC Shan made him stretch out his cheeks with a sideways pen before recording). New debut Stereotypes (out on Duck Down after Special Teams wisely skied off Universal) puts Ed/Jay/Slaine on slow kick-drum battle chants (Young Cee’s “Get Down”) or zoned head-nodders (Premier’s “Main Event,” with a clipped beat contemporary in sentiment to the old Bulldogs tracks) or grabs Devin tha Dude for verse help on Xplicit’s slinky “Long Time Coming,” a signature track that sneaks in and settles down (with extremely sticky key outro) before you’re ready. First-ever Long Beach show for a Boston group on a rare coast tour, plus first Boston group in a while to amiably rate as “supergroup.”

SPECIAL TEAMZ WITH ZAIRE BLACK, HOCHII AND MORE THE BLUE CAFÉ | 210 PROMENADE LONG BEACH 90802 | THEBLUECAFE.COM | SUN CALL FOR TIME | $5 | 21+

Tags: blue cafe, Boston, hip hop, Long Beach, Music, special teamz