April 26, 2024

Pusha T Re-Creating ‘Greatness’ Of B.I.G., Jay Z Era On <i>My Name Is My Name</i>

Pusha T represents Virginia to the fullest, but recently, while breaking down the lyrical content of his highly anticipated debut album, My Name Is My Name for MTV News, the G.O.O.D. Music rapper shared a little something about himself that might come as a surprise to fans.

“Me and my brother both were born in the Bronx,” King Push told MTV News. “We lived on Gun Hill in Tilden Towers. A lot of people don’t know that. I shy away from saying that because I don’t want people to misconstrue that. I was raised in Virginia, and I don’t want nobody thinking that I’m trying to claim something that I was only living in for two years or whatever, but this is truly where I was born.”

Now it all makes sense. The MC’s penchant for weaving complex metaphors and intricate rhymes about the streets is more than just a conscious decision on the acclaimed lyricist’s part. Pusha’s flow is proof of his innate ability to pay homage to the original wordsmiths on Sedgwick Avenue who shaped the “hip-hop haven” that he and his brothers grew up in hundreds of miles away in Virginia Beach.

“I didn’t learn the art form of rapping in those different stages — I only knew to be as ill as you can be lyrically,” he said. “It’s all about creating that nostalgia. When it came to My Name Is My Name I said to myself, ‘Man, I wanna make something that I love and I wanna listen to myself. I wanna go to an era and revisit an era that was strictly about lyrics.’ So I had to go to ’95-’99 — a great mixtape era, a great B.I.G./Jay era. To me it was just more so about re-creating the greatness of an amazing time.”

If Kanye West‘s epic during last week’s New York listening session for My Name Is My Name is any indication, the Clipse rapper accomplished that goal and then some with his first solo project, which features guest vocals from Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar and, of course, Yeezus himself.

“Everything is Pusha T,” ‘Ye said. “Pyrex Vision, that’s Pusha T. Fear of God, that’s Pusha T. This n—a the heart of the mothaf—ing culture for you culture vultures. This the only n—a spitting that wild mothaf—ing hip-hop sh– right now — that’s why I stand next to this n—a. I don’t give a f— about none of these corporations, none of these f—ing sellouts — this mothaf—ing Pusha T!”

Pusha T’s self-proclaimed “album of the year,” My Name Is My Name, is set for release on October 8.

About the author  ⁄ MTV News

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