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Save Our Streetz aka Hunned Bars - For the Love of Money · by Jared B. Ware
Last week an acquaintance of mine passed me his new cd, fresh out the duplicator and ready for that hand-to-hand and to be shopped to labels. There are very few do-it-yourself artists in New York that are worthy of even a snippet peep (we’re constantly bombarded by them in Union Square, Times Square, or worse, on the train), but having appreciated Save Our Streetz aka Hunned Bars‘ 2005 street album Sketch of an Artist, as well as a couple of his subsequent demos, I was reasonably amped to pop this joint in the system.
Where Sketch of an Artist, might have flexed HB’s diversity to a fault at certain points, losing focus and forgoing cohesiveness in an attempt to reach multiple prospective audiences (A&R’s in this case), For the Love of Money walks the line perfectly between good ol’ fashion NYC gangsta bravado, flossy pimp vocab, and introspective storytelling. A lifetime resident of Taft Houses in East Harlem, SOS’s album is full of rich Uptown imagery, basketball and pop culture references, street narratives, and smooth g.
Although for some the money talk may get a little played out over the course of the album between the title track, “Stacks,” “ Dead Presidents,” “I’m a Don,” and “Boss Man,” it’s clear HB recognizes his own obsession with money when he spits lines like, “stiches in ya scalp look like an accident/bricks in the back of whips/gettin’ money sick, I need Aspirin,” on “Ya Boy Is Back.” S.O.S. addresses his infatuation with monetary gains on “Kyra Sedwick (The Closer)“, in bars that weave style and substance together into a web:
“My settin’ be a three block radius. / The eighties? Shit, I wasn’t thinkin’ bout this paper for real (not at all). / Now my baby’s here, my main focus makin’ a mill. / Yo, that weed ain’t movin’ nigga? Straight to the pills./ Hooligan feel, funny round uppety cats./ Who I’m wit? Frill Inc, Frill fuckin’ wit that./ Yo, believe this, cake it gon’ happen./ Whether it be actin’, or rappin’, go back get my Master’s.”
And in case any fear becoming bored with the subjects matter, rest assured that S.O.S.‘s lyrics are relentlessly delivered throughout the album. Whether he’s kickin’ more laid back like on “ Stacks” and “For the Love of Money,” or tearing beats to shreds ferociously on “How We Roll ,” “Kyra Sedwick “The Closer”,’” or “Ya Boy Is Back!!,” Hunned Bars never sounds content, lackluster, or the least bit fed. He might be the hungriest rapper to hit New York City in years.
Although he’s never out of his element on this album, S.O.S. is at his best when he’s telling a story. On “Reminisce,” S.O.S. recalls the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s using his own life experiences as a window into the creation and evolution of his current mentality. His descriptions of getting kicked out of high school only to grind his way through college, defending his bus pass from potential hooligans, his youthful enjoyment of knuckle-headed vandalism, and his mother’s struggle to shield him from addiction are delivered evenly and honestly without glamourization. On another album cut, “ What Do I Do?” H tells the story of a love-struck surrogate father who raises a son as his own only to find out the child isn’t his years later. As the title suggest the song’s narrator is left to ponder how he deals with the deceipt of his lover, keeping in mind the delicate love of the unwitting stepchild he’s raised as his own.
One of the more refreshing aspects of For The Love of Money is that even as S.O.S. tackles the more cliched aspects of hood life and the American Dream, he never sacrifices his lyricism or perspective to fit the desires of adolescent snap-dance fiends. There are no ringtone friendly tracks, no gimmicky rock riff samples, no ill-informed 80’s techno-pop throwbacks, and no dance-themed jingles – just unadulterated Harlem reality, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The sad thing is that in the current state of hip hop, with the South on top, and New York rappers either tryin’ to jump ship and rep that crunk/hyphy/bapester shit (MIMS, Jim Jones, Fat Joe) or rehashing their own careers until nobody cares anymore (50 & G-Unit), there seems little room for an honest street dweller. But when the tides turn, and the youngsters decide they want some substance and balance in their lives, S.O.S. is ready to make good on his name.
Download the album For the Love of Money by Save Our Streetz aka Hunned Bars
Tracklist
1. For the Love of Money
2. Ya Boy Is Back!!
3. Stacks featuring Flawless
4. Dead Presidents
5. I’m a Don
6. What Do I Do?
7. Reminisce
8. Can’t Come Home
9. Boss Man
10. Deeper and Deeper
11. How We Roll
12. Kyra Sedwick “The Closer”
Jared B. Ware also posts at his blog “It’s Just A Hobby…“
Comments for "Save Our Streetz aka Hunned Bars - For the Love of Money"
Nice.
— Colin C. Sep 28, 01:34 AM
The honest street dweller can be found in Clipse, and I know you don’t dig on HHNF, but that’s just your loss, because that piece was one of the best crack-money-rap albums in a long time.
— Farsideoff Sep 28, 11:17 AM
Just read the article, and listened to the music. Honestly i don’t think u give him the credit he deserves. This guy delivers the best stories since Big & Nas. “Deeper & Deeper” & and “What Do I Do?” are detailed illustrations, you can actually see that “one day up in Kennedy fried”. From listening to this you can gather that this guy is still living this,“Can’t Come Home”, WOW!! Again the best I’ve heard in a long time, you can see he’s more than just 16 bars, this kid is a full album of consistency. He’s more than a mixtape rapper, he needs a deal.
— Desmond Haywood L.A. Times Sep 28, 12:35 PM
This kid is from Harlem, i thought Harlem cats were all punchlines crack sales. Son talks about drug selling and graduating college in the same breath, and makes it sound hot, u can tell he really did both, most cats do one or the other.
— Ro NYC. Sep 28, 12:46 PM
Farsideoff, you realize multiple people write for this site right? This is Jared’s first post here so I’m not sure how you state that you know his take on Hell Hath No Fury. For the record, HHNF was our 2nd best album of 2006 and that was with unanimous top 3 picks by RHS, Sach and myself.
But I’m glad that a post about an up and comer who could use the attention immediately led to a comment about the underexposed Clipse.
You did a great service here today.
— rafi Sep 28, 12:53 PM
This guy is actually pretty good…I downloaded the album and I can honestly say that there was like 2 tracks that I didn’t like but for the most part he shows that he has skills….he has my vote…
— Jay Hip Hop Sep 28, 01:03 PM
He’s way better tham the clipse
— Ro NYC. Sep 28, 01:05 PM
glad u guys are enjoying the shit. I agree that he’s one of the most vivid story tellers out. he’s searching for a deal and is eager for interviews, reviews, etc. so if you’re interested hit me up on email and ill put you in touch. and the clipse album was arguably the best record to drop last year, so I don’t know where u would get the impression that I didn’t like it. I think the positive response here may warrant me uploading his first album too, which shows even more of sos’s versatility.
— jared.b.ware Sep 28, 01:10 PM
I do realize that multiple people write for this blog, however, I was basing my statement off a recent post where the author claimed to “never under[stand] the hype and critical acclaim heaped upon Hell Hath No Fury.” Unfortunatly, I have not been visiting this blog long enough to have read the “Best Albums of 2006,” so I appologize for my asumption. The aspect I never really understood is the obession a lot of hip-hop fans have with getting the better artists “exposed.” There appear to be two worlds of rap, the blogged and the televised. From time to time, the two collide, as with the battle over 9/11, but I really don’t care if artists like Clipse make it onto any network. I’ll buy their CDs and go to their shows, but I actually find it offensive that Sucker Free on MTV2 claims “we are hip-hop.” But yeah, this guy defiantly has it; voice, delivery, and imagery.
— Farsideoff Sep 28, 04:05 PM
S.O.S hands down brings a old but new element back to the game and thats the art of life. The realistic zone that we are left in at the end of the day. The dance life and the willy living isn’t really in everyones budget. So his insight is in his own means. Its a album u can relate to and hold dearly.
— Gucciprint Sep 29, 11:21 PM
“S.O.S hands down brings a old but new element back to the game and thats the art of life. The realistic zone that we are left in at the end of the day. The dance life and the willy living isn’t really in everyones budget. So his insight is in his own means. Its a album u can relate to and hold dearly.”
this is a good synopsis. although I’d omit the last three words for press releases.
— Jay B Oct 1, 01:21 AM
“S.O.S hands down brings a old but new element back to the game and thats the art of life.”
Definitely warrants a philaflava hmmmmm icon
— Rafi Oct 1, 03:16 AM
After a close inspection of the Mixtape/album “For the Love of Money…I can dig it…he got some quality songs on there that could get some major attention if pushed the right way…
— Kasi Oct 1, 05:17 PM
Good lookin out Jared, where can I hear dude’s music?
— EnglandRepresent Oct 2, 04:11 AM
well there’s a link on this post to his album (down there at the bottom), which is available for free download. You can also check out his myspace page at www.myspace.com/hunnedbars. I just finished up typing up his interview yesterday, I’ll be including some more of his music with that as well.
— B. Ware tha Siniq Oct 2, 10:04 AM
So many self-distributed albums, so little time. If it’s posted on OhWord though I’ll at least give it a chance.
— DJ Flash Oct 3, 06:30 PM
Wow dude is spittin on here thanks for this
— The Mayor Oct 5, 03:55 PM
Yeah, dude has it for real!!! Where can I hear more?
— Immortal Oct 14, 11:54 AM
^^^I have a copy of “Sketch of An Artist” and some of his mixtapes/demos that I will be upping later. They will either be posted here or at www.hobbyinthelobby.blogspot.com, probably sometime this week.
— Jared B. Ware Oct 15, 04:28 PM
Cool….I’ll be on the lookout….
— Immortal Oct 16, 01:27 PM
^^^ interview, debut album, and mixtape cuts available over at http://hobbyinthelobby.blogspot.com/2007/10/catch-me-in-range-rove-46-like-same.html
— Jared B. Ware Oct 18, 02:57 PM
Ok, I see you S,O.S. Keep putting out that FIRE!!!
— Pots May 31, 10:55 PM