Young Tongue: Moe Green

Remember a few years ago when everyone and they mama was droppin a bad hyphy record? You remember don't you? The knock-off Rick Rock beats, the requisate dreads, the ghost riding, the fascination with stupidity, the pills, the purple. . . Ringing any bells? I won't lie, some of those slaps went hard and I still throw them on at parties, but that passing fad came to define us. We were never as shallow and stupid as that genre made us look, and now we are fixing to remind the world of that.

Mistah FAB is perhaps the most obvious proof that "hyphy" is more of a party mentality than a state of being. His yellow bus movement was a centerpiece of the hyphy era, but he is also a smart and lyrical dude who is flourishing now that that chapter has ended. The benefit of hyphy's demise is that Bay Area rappers can be themselves again. Yukmouth can return to his street shit, The Cataracs can venture off into indie-pop harmonizing, and young cats like Moe Green can have the freedom to be the post-genre stars they aspire to be.

One listen to the 20 year-old Green and you can tell that he is just doing him- not unlike another Oakland-born and Vallejo-bred rapper by the name of Mac Dre. Green is a rapper by trade, but has musical aspirations that transcend hip-hop. Given that art forms die if they don't adapt, Green's openness and intelligence will give him a leg up on the competition. As he says on "Wild Styles," "You dry humpin the game, I'm makin love to it."

Sonically, Moe Green sounds a bit like DMV up-and-comer Walé, which is an enviable comparison these days. But as LeVar Burton always said on Reading Rainbow, "Don't take my word for it"- check dude out. The track "Comfort Zone" off his latest mixtape I Just Want You to Hear My Voice features that layed back cool the Bay is famous for over a nice Oceans 11-ish groove. Partake

DL: "Comfort Zone"- Moe Green
DL: I Just Want You to Hear My Voice Mixtape- Moe Green