Moe Green: Rocky Maivia: Non-Title Match

For those who haven’t realized it yet, the West Coast rap scene is not just filled with gangsters and hyphy finger-snappers. For every act trying to capitalize on some new dance move, you have MCs and producers, from Trek Life to DaVinci to Flying Lotus, destroying the California stereotype. Also in that camp is up-and-coming spitter Moe Green, hailing from Vallejo. While this Bay Area rapper caught some buzz last year with I Just Want You to Hear My Voice, his hip-hop stock has risen considerably thanks to the down-to-earth attitude on Rocky Maivia: Non-Title Match.

Green’s not going to instantly blow you away with intricate wordplay or over-the-top bravado, though he does offer touches of both. Where he really succeeds is in his everyman storytelling, whether he is falling in love on “The Level After Like”, on the daily grind in “KIM” or pushing aside phony rappers over a La Roux sample with “Going for the Kill”. It also doesn’t hurt to have production team, which includes 10AK and DJ Ammbush, in his corner supplying beats that keep the album fresh and cohesive. With a prize like Rocky Maivia: Non-Title Match under his belt, be prepared to see Green go the distance.