On his sophomore release, Everything Changed Nothing, up-and-coming L.A. rapper Trek Life reps his home city to the fullest, with at least three songs – one appropriately named So LA – serving as obvious odes to the City of Angels.
But Due West is a little different, a thoughtful narrative that steers away from cliched shout-outs and instead gives listeners “a good perspective on the black migration to Cali,” Trek says.
“I’ve always wanted to get into the history of Cali more and more since it seems like, from a rap perspective, Cali (LA specifically) only really goes as deep as the early 80’s.”
The chorus-less track rides a soulful horn loop – courtesy of Oddisee, who produced the album – as Trek reels off an inspiring verse that doubles as a history lesson.
Read more on Trek Life at the LA Times (natch) in a Q&A with Jeff Weiss, who turned me on to this great album.