Rap Review: So=Cal's "Leroy vs Shonuff" Gives Off Major Nostalgic Vibes

Rasaun “Ray” Botley aka So=Cal,  is the founder and CEO of Check My Mental Records. He's also a rare beat maker; his sounds are based off of soulful samples with crazy, gritty drums, bringing a musical versatility and diversity to the genre and giving his fans that basement kinda feel. From the west coast funk all the way to the east coast boombap, he has worked with gifted artists along the way including Brotha Foogee, Demme Parks, Izreal Jakob, Marv Won, Joell Ortiz, Sky Zoo, Boog Brown, Fatt Father and Jordan S. 

Late last year, So=Cal dropped “Make Due”. The 7 song EP was a collaborative effort with Detroit’s battle rap legend, Marv Won. It gives off the smell and appeal of a well thought out, nicely prepared classic rap project. The music and samples are rich, soulful and cultured. So=Cal's sound is polished yet gritty-- a necessary component to balance out the smooth soulfulness sound of the project.

"I lil the man the n#ggas you look up to..."

He also recently dropped a dope new single called “Leroy vs Shonuff” which features Brotha Foogee and Izreal Jakob.  It gives a nod to one of my all-time favorite movies growing up, The Last Dragon and has a Rakim, "When I B On Tha Mic" kinda vibe. But beyond the musical creativity, the lyrical content is all there too. So=Cal's got some sick verses, like "How you wake up, first thoughts be another man.. you a hater, basically one of my biggest fans." 

SOCIAL + STREAMING

Instagram: https://instagram.com/offical_so.cal?igshid=1g5tgjbusfdnj

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4uYcUm2RXufazDcGBg87Hh?si=E1GUvR3ITse6Up8w6qbQ4g