VIDEO: From Within A Legendary Philly Rap Factory, A New Generation Emerges

Philadelphia has been cranking out great rap since some of the genre’s earliest days. People like Lady B, Cool C and Steady B, and Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince a.k.a. megastar Will Smith, helped usher the music along in its fledgling era of gaining mainstream acceptance.

Then came a new crop that would take the city’s reputation to a national and global level – the legendary Roots Crew, with Black Thought and ?uestlove at the helm, and showcasing MCs and songwriters such as Malik B, Dice Raw, and Jill Scott.

Then don’t forget the DJs/make-the-music-with-your-mouth-makers like Rahzel and Scratch, and other crews like State Property – with Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Young Chris, and Peedi Crakk – and the list goes on with Cassidy and more and more and more.

Then, there are the newer, bolder faces – at least newer to the people outside of Philly – like Meek Mill and Tone Trump and Ryshon Jones and OCD: Moosh & Twist and Rone and the following trio, who get to create and record their music in a place where icons have created and recorded.

Inside the legendary Larry Gold Studios in Philadelphia is an MC, singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, and visuals factory of sorts. They are cranking out the next generation of Philly rap – learning the ropes as offshoots of The Roots and Dice Raw, longtime Roots collaborator and head of Raw Life Records.

The trio at hand is rappers/singers Young Gliss [BGA] from Philly and De’Ko from the DMV area by way of Africa – along with producer/engineer/EP mastermind Geez Seven, also from Philly, whose young face hides the fact that he has already worked with Jill Scott, Jazmine Sullivan, The Four Tops, and other major talents. (And yes, that’s the actual Four Tops.)

Their The Dream Sequence EP – created in just one day and released two weeks ago – is a great representation of the work ethic being passed on at Larry Gold Studios. And with Geez’s tight production, it’s good, too. Check out AllHipHop.com’s interview with Young Gliss, De’Ko, and Geez, shot in ?uestlove’s personal “Amir Room” recording studio: