I’ve been following the career trajectory of SouthernGawthMobb for a couple of years now, and I can confidently say that they’re currently sporting their greatest roster to date. I’ve written about one of their two newest members (producer turned rapper Zerosuit) many times before but the other has yet to feature on this blog and so his music will be the primary focus of this article. With founding member’s Lil Disceased and Lil Trvsh leading the cavalry (they just dropped five new tracks together as part of Disceased’s double-sided BigDed the Lone Gunslinger project), SGM are destined for nothing but greatness for the rest of the year.
Scott Free, the second artist to be added to the collective this year, seemingly came out of nowhere. His production on Zerosuit’s ‘Shynxe Zero’ was a gloomy, gothic creation, immediately piquing my interest. The subsequent release of his debut tape Lost Colony only confirmed suspicions that Scott was one of the underground’s greatest hidden talents, as the Raleigh producer’s music was as murky and mysterious as the swamp depicted on the project’s cover. The guest list on the project was impressive too, as not only did Disceased show up to provide one of his rawest, most savage performances but close SGM associate LZA contributed twice, enhancing the griminess of two of the tape’s strongest cuts. Cowboykillerr’s cameo was equally inspired, it really seems like Scott brings the best out of his collaborators. Almost immediately after joining SGM, Scott released a three track collaborative EP with Disceased (Southland Revolt) that only enhanced my belief in the duo’s chemistry tenfold. I have no doubt that these two could attain a partnership akin to Disceased’s relationship with Trvsh and Zero, given time.
Zerosuit deserves a mention here too, as his workrate throughout 2020 so far has been incredible to behold. Rapping over his own beats as well as those of Loko Los, Krxxk, Gyptxvn and more, Zero has flourished as an artist and delivered six high-quality projects in under five months. His latest offering, the Metal mixtape, is notable for its high-octane beat selection (manipulated further by Zero’s trademark production-warping) and for Zero’s slow, methodical, almost SGP-inspired flows. His latest song, the Scott Free-produced ‘Mindreader’ is pure chaos, Zero’s malevolent rhyming melting into the body of the beat as his voice becomes increasingly mindless and zombified. If Zero continues to expand his discography like this, he will without a doubt have a better 2020 than almost anybody else.
Refocusing back on Disceased, it is obvious that in releasing the BigDed project that he has well and truly bettered himself as an artist. Side A’s Trench Muzic 3-esque sound is wonderful, Trvsh’s ominous bell melodies sounding more powerful than ever, but the real highlight is Side B where Disceased locates pockets in Zerosuit’s beats that I would never have expected him to find. Disceased’s raps like a man possessed on ‘Fully Loaded’, his voice distorting the longer the track goes on as the very fabric of Zero’s production begins to collapse. Undoubtedly his best effort yet, BigDed has granted Disceased’s listeners two wholly different styles, one familiar and one entirely new. I sincerely hope that he continues to pursue both as the year goes on.
SGM are one of the most consistently dope groups in the underground, even the members that aren’t quite as active these days (Trenchboi Kese, Sinister Schuyler) remain vital to the group’s evolution. I hope that one day all of the members will be available for a collaborative tape, as I have no doubt it would be one of the strongest group projects that the scene has ever seen.
– Chris (@108mics)
108MICS 