Rap and hip-hop are genres that are often overlooked at Grinnell. That will change tonight with the Suga City concert. The duo, made up of Goines and Arkansas—A Real Kool Ass Nigga Scratchin’ And Survivin’—Bo, will be appearing with Epiphany in Gardner Lounge at 9 p.m. Suga City’s name is taken from the nickname for their hometown of Stuttgart, Arkansas. The band, which is currently signed to Conduit Entertainment, has appeared on various compilation albums and has released several mix tapes of their own.
“New New,” one of their singles, is on the soundtrack to the videogame Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Suga City has garnered a significant local following in Arkansas because they offer a new take on Southern style. Unlike other Southern artists such as Lil’ Wayne and Ludacris, Suga City’s songs range widely, from deep dirty south beats to a more east-coast influence.
Perhaps since Suga City doesn’t stick to a distinct Southern sound, the duo manages to incorporate consistent flows with better lyrics than can be found on most mix tapes or major albums—compare Suga City’s lyrics in “Savoir Faire” to those in Weezy’s “Prom Queen”—and their beats are incredibly solid. The strings on “Savoir Fair” add a distinct sound to the mix, and the duo’s lyrics flow flawlessly over the beat. “New New” sets up a slightly more familiar snare beat, but Goines’ phrases are unique enough to keep the audience interested, and Bo’s punch lines are spot on. The rest of the Black Friday mix tape is also worth listening to before the concert—Goines’ “A Milli” freestyle is on par with many mainstream rappers’ verses.
