With a name like Charmingly Ghetto, it’s hard not to pay attention. The old-school MC from Dorchester, MA lives up to his name too. His tracks, featuring production from all over the globe, could have fit right into the rap scene 15 years ago, bringing to mind Nas and the Rhymesayers crew. He has released quite a bit of material over the years, dropping frequent EPs with a wide variety of producers. His Study A’Broad mixtape even featured production from all over the world including New Zealand, Sweden, and Iceland. Most recently, he teamed up with Brooklyn producer ATG for Of The Meaning Of Progress, a solid collection of socially conscious tracks featuring fellow Bostonian REKS.
His rhymes are poetic, his flows passionate, and it all works flawlessly together. His style ranges from Brother Ali-like political commentary, to Atmosphere’s every-day poetry, to Nas’s philosophical musings. Whichever persona he feels like adopting, he does it well, making him one of the most promising rappers around. On the touching “Accidental Martyr,” he tells the story of a young child who got involved with the wrong crowd. With the recent blow-up of similarly gang-averse rapper Kendrick Lamar, the time for street-preaching rappers like CG may be here.
Regardless, he is not interested in fame if it isn’t for the right reasons. “I’m not scared of the limelight at all,” he says. “The most important thing for me is that when the limelight arrives, it’s a limelight I can be proud of.” This kind of street poetry is rarely executed with such terrific rhymes. Charmingly Ghetto is amazing with his words, interweaves rhymes from line to line, allowing the verses to seem like one long sentence. For fans of Nas and Atmosphere, here’s your next favorite.
Download his latest mixtape for free at DJBooth and check out the rest of his material at Bandcamp.