A$AP Mob’s ‘Trillmatic’ Video: Count the 1990s References
If you’ve been missing the 1990s hip hop scene, you’re going to enjoy every second of A$AP Mob’s “Trillmatic” video.
The young guns scheduled to drop their compilation “Lords” on March 4 on RCA Records pay mad respect to the era that brought us the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Nice & Smooth and more.
‘Trillmatic”s Top 6 Throwback References:
1. Can You Hear Me Now? – You probably laughed when you first saw A$AP Nast in the video, talking on the 1990s flip phone, but what’s funny about that? Only ballers had cell phones back-in-the-day.
2. “One Love” to Nas – If you did not realize that the “Trillmatic” title was a take on Nas’ classic 1992 debut “Illmatic,” you’ve got some studying to do.
3. Nicest Chorus Ever – Nice & Smooth fans can’t help but smile when hearing A$AP Nast’s chorus, “I got a funky funky style with a funky swag.” It takes us right back to the origins, Nice & Smooth’s 1991 jam, “Hip Hop Junkies.” Hands down, Greg Nice and Smooth B had some of hip hop’s best sing-along choruses.
4. Wu Tang Clan Cameo – Considering the Wu Tang Clan’s legacy as frontrunners of the 1990s, it is impressive that A$AP Mob scored for a cameo Method Man, the first Wu to release a solo album following their “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” album. And yes, Johnny Blaze smokes the track with lines like, “Who am I? I’m a titan so be expecting a clash.”
5. Deep Musical Influence – You can’t make an authentic 1990s hip hop tribute without the right track. It sounds like A$AP Ty Beats found inspiration in Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones.” The pacing of the bass groove is a bit slower and manipulated enough to evoke nostalgia while also offering new energy. It bangs.
6. Sound Familiar? – Is it me, or does A$AP Nast sound like he’s channeling Raekwon’s Wu Tang style during the song’s second verse? He’s dicing up his flow like The Chef. Then he kills it with another Wu ref in the closing lyric, “Clowns be watching, best ‘Protect Ya Neck.'” Makes me want to listen to “Incarcerated Scarfaces” and “Ice Cream.”
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