Was One Listen Enough? Hood Graduate by Smokey Bear

My friends, I realized something this weekend. I realized that there's no reason for PJ Tucker to get more NBA game minutes than me. He's got a better shoe collection, but I'm sure I can miss just as many shots and get just as many fouls for a fraction of the price. I'm just not ok with living in Milwaukee. 

That's just one of two things I reflected on this weekend after watching Conor McGregor's leg fold in the clutch. The other thing was, where are the new songs that make me want to perform music videos at the red lights? So I had to find them. That's when someone sent me Hood Graduate by Smokey Bear, and it was time to find out if this album was automatic playlist material or a swift click and drag to the recycle bin. 

The album starts with 12 Times, and it's a solid intro. It's a good pocket, and the beat is fire. Smokey is rapping his ass off although, I don't think I'll run it back often. That's kind of how it is with most intros now, though.  

Now, Wise Guy, that's the one. This is a pure music video in traffic music. You have to be going above the speed limit with leather seats when you listen to this. Simple 808s, choppy snares, and bells underneath very fire raps from Smokey. "I'm serving fiends, Imma Gawd with that refer." My niggas please understand that when you hear me yell this line in public, even if you know personally that I do not sell drugs, just mind your business and let me vibe. 

Don't Play featuring Gun1 is a solid follow-up, which is showing great sequencing so far. Gun1's voice especially fits this beat perfectly. Remember when Bubba Ray used to tell D'von to get the tables? This reminds me of that. "Shooters and some rich youngins, I threw the reup up in Onyx" As far as favorites go, it's between "Wise Guy" and this one. 

I'll be honest Bussin, and Young Hot Ebony didn't stick with me. They were just cool off the first listen. So if they come up in shuffle, I might let them play, but I'm not going straight to them. 

Now "No Vouchers" featuring Sacc Left picks things back up, and it's good freshly rolled blunt music. Snappy trap hi-hats and a catchy hook accompanied by only the good raps. I give it four flame emojis. Play this in the car, and I guarantee someone's going to ask, "yo, who is this?". 

Sidenote: I need niggas to stop talking over the music in the car. You got ten seconds between songs to say what you need, and after that, you have to shut the fuck up and enjoy the waves. 

"Hood Graduate" closes with "All-Star Weekend" as Smokey Bear shows he knows how to go out on a high note. The beat is hypnotic, and this is one of the songs I would like to see a video of. This doesn't play like a standard outro though this is closer to another single. A very fire single that he should push ASAP. 

Hood Graduate is my first time hearing Smokey Bear, and it won't be my last. Although I didn't love every single song, I fucked with most of them. So when it comes to Hood Graduate, One Listen Wasn't Enough. 

Now I gotta go see how many SNKRS employees I gotta "threaten" to get my hands on the new Aleali May Jordan 4s. Be safe, friends and avoid sending that drunk DM to the shorty with over 10k Instagram followers b; you are just another like on a pic, and it will not end well for you. Stream Hood Graduate on all platforms.