If you hadn’t heard of NYOil before reading this review, you no longer have an excuse. NYOil is an enigmatic emcee hailing from Staten Island who has already stirred up controversy thanks to his song “Y’all Should All Get Lynched” (Its video, incidentally, was removed from YouTube almost immediately after its posting due to “inappropriate content”). While the song, which calls for “bullsh*t emcees” and “fake-ass gangsters” to get lynched, is undeniably controversial, what is equally undeniable is that NYOil is not just fiending for the spotlight—on HoodTREASON (The Warm Up Album) (Masta Mix) he truly has something to say. The concept that steers the album is its indictment of contemporary rappers (re: hip-pop, gangster rap, crack rap) for propagating the destruction of the black community. A pretty serious charge, for sure, but Oil’s concern is that instead of art imitating life, life has begun to imitate art (as he articulates on “Nostalgic Interlude”). He feels that years ago, Hip-Hop was treated as a true art form, whereas today’s rappers have sold out their hoods just to make a little dough, which has in turn led to misplaced values. “Brother home from college /‘Aw this ni**a ain’t s###’ / Ni**a come home from jail / And y’all all on his dick/Picknickin,’ barbecuein’ /Celebratin for nothin’/ Even Africans is callin’ y’all ni**as/Ain’t that somethin’?,” he laments on “Y’all Should All Get Lynched.”While “Y’all Should All Get Lynched” is the defining anthem that gives the album its cohesiveness, there are hardly any flaws to be found with the rest of the tracks. The title track employs an electrifying guitar sample to drive its message home, a jolting plea to “stop sellin’ us out.” Other highlights are the aformentioned “Don’t Get It Twisted,” “The Hate Love Made,” and “You’re a QUEEN.” The poignant “Unreal” ensures that the album ends on a note just as strong as the one on which it began. NYOil’s content is certainly in the Public Enemy vein, but soulful production manages to invoke A Tribe Called Quest and the Roots—quite a disparate and talented array of artists. Oh, and if you were wondering about Oil’s lyrical ability aside from the content? Dude can straight spit: “Catch my purpose/Look you barely scratched the surface /You hardly can harm me or hurt this/Your army is probably worthless/You versus the verses is virtually impervious/ Victorious now your peeps is purposely servin’ us,” he kicks on “Unreal” while on, “HoodTREASON,” he slings, “Crack rappers get clapped after / By backpackers with macs / In the backs of they knapsacks / And then we laugh at ya.”It’s been hard not to drop the 7-letter “C”-word so far, but only time will tell whether HoodTREASON and NYOil can make their desired mark. After all, Oil dubs his work “The Warm Up Album.” If this is the undercard, however, the main event might just change the game permanently.
