In 2011, A$AP Rocky flew through the gate with his debut tape, Live.Love.A$AP. Rocky’s style and charisma weren’t seen by a New York rapper since the days Cam’ron dominated the scene. The mixtape’s sound was primarily infused with Houston’s slow, chopped sound that permeated the south in the 1990’s. The project’s sound also fit into the blog era and made Rocky an immediate star. A song on the mixtape that solidified that was “Houston Old Head.” Produced by DJ Burn One, the vibe on the track makes you want to just kick back and relax. Burn One perfectly synched the drum programming over the infectious sample of The 5th Dimension’s “High On Sunshine.”
“Houston Old Head” took us into Rocky’s world, as he spoke to his “Houston old head” about the happenings in his life before his OG imparted some legendary wisdom that’s found in the chorus.
Life is just a bitch, a bitch is like a ho
Hoes want the money, money come and goes
Friends turn to foes, foes they be fake
If you listen when ya old head talkin’ you’ll be straight
While the saga of producers versus record labels led to Burn One not getting compensated, the importance of this song to Rocky’s catalog will never fade.
