My instinct, purely as a writer, was to begin this review with a run-down of Mitchy Slick’s history as a gang member. Yes, Mitchy is a prominent voice on the Gangland episode about Bloods in San Diego. Yes, he talks about gang affiliations and violence and throwing up sets in a lot of his songs. And yes, between Kendrick Lamar and the Balkanization of Chicago, gang violence is on the minds of anyone who either listens to rap carefully or pays attention to national issues. But to do that would be to sell Feet Match the Paint short. It’s a great West Coast rap album that is worth your hard-earned ducats.Mitchy Slick is one of the most underrated rappers out there. Many underrated artists see their moment squashed by internal politics (Peedi Crakk), or haven’t really found a niche for their brand of talent (Freddie Gibbs). Mitchy on the other hand, has been a local hero and California mainstay for years. He works with high-profile producers, shows up on Brick Squad tapes and still has a deal with Stones Throw (aka the house that Madlib and Dilla built) as part the Strong Arm Steady trio. You can still make it in California as a rapper even if you barely register on the East Coast, and that’s something people need to remember. But make no mistake, Mitchy’s Urban Survial Syndrome from 2006 is one of my favorite rap albums of all time. His take on lots of West Coast classics, Mitchy Duz It is way up there too. And I have been playing Feet Match the Paint non-stop since I got it.Mitchy Slick is really fun to listen to. He holds together his haphazard cadence in a way that showcases his lyricism; imagine if vintage Xzibit had jokes instead of threats. I haven’t really cared about shit like “internal rhyme schemes” actively in years but Mitchy makes them sound fun. He also has a great knack for hooks, especially when sung along with 80’s funk. DJ Fresh (the Cali one, not the UK one) made his name putting lush synth chords behind gangster shit, so his tracks here are a perfect match for Mitchy. There’s some straight up jheri-curl funk and some more smooth Cadillac El Dorado stuff, but it’s all very sunny. There’s even a reprise! It’s called “Smoke Break (Reprise)”. That’s some Isaac Hayes shit!As for the content, yes, it’s gang-intensive. I don’t really feel a need to justify anyone’s right to make violent rap music anymore, but Mitchy Slick is an interesting counterpoint to both Kendrick Lamar’s hopelessness and Chief Keef’s nihilism. Mitchy is kind of bored. He’s over it. Not that Feet Match the Paint is a drag or a long lament, but “Do What I Can Do” is all venting about the stress helping his peoples with legal issues and money. If you survive growing up in a gang, you grow out of it. You find other shit to do: his tracks about muscle cars and the rap hustle seem way more inspired, like the beautiful “Put On A Show” with Murs and Planet Asia.Feet Match the Paintis front-to-back “smoke a blunt while eating grilled meats” music. I will be making my friends play this shit on rooftops all summer. This is an album you should pay for. Not convinced? Stream it on Spotify.Skinny Friedman is a writer and DJ living in New York. He's on Twitter - @skinny412
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