Co$$ - “Pot Ash”

Keeping in the trend of posting kickass songs which, in my opinion, rank as some of the best music rap is putting out in 2011 (No Watch The Throne round these parts), another track which ranks favorably on my list and has dominated my playlist for a good while now is “Pot Ash,” by the Cali rapper Cashus Clay, better known as Co$$. Familiar with the name? You damn well should be, because I’ve spoken about the emcee’s collaborations with Florida producer Numonics at least twice before on this blog!

Anyhow, hailing from Leimert Park, Co$$ has been steadily rising for the past few years, often a featured guest on records by Blu, Fashawn, and other prominent Cali emcees, but on his long awaited debut, Before I Awoke, Co$$ gets his own time to shine. I’ve put the record through its paces, and it’s seriously a solid introduction to the man, showing a thoughtful balance between the hectic life on L.A. streets and his desire to grow, inspire, and become enlightened. It’s an intriguing duality, and Co$$ brings a lot of heart and intelligence to his rhymes.

“Pot Ash,” is the finest example of this. With the producer Exile (of Blu and Exile fame, as well as his work on Fashawn’s debut), Co$$ puts in a top-flight performance, rapping about his life with such candor that you can’t help but pay attention and feel for him. There are some very strong emotions on display here, such as personifying his depression, and remembering his father who has passed on, and Co$$ is adept at creating vivid lines and showing a level of depth which not a lot of emcees today can match. Exile’s production is just as incredible, with a pensive, jazz-inflected tune with a terrific wandering sax and looming piano keys, which suits Co$$’s words perfectly. This one is excellent.