Shortie No Mass
Like This [prod. Rockwilder]

b/w
U Like My Style [prod. Da Beatminerz]

August 28, 2025 - Written by Alok

Around summer 2020, when I had just left the social justice space to pursue my own path and the world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, I got active on Instagram for the first time.

Being myself, I made sure to follow the whole hip-hop scene as thorough as possible. I connected with OGs and young bloods from all coasts while transforming my trappy little apartment in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, CT into a veritable art studio, exploring self-healing, life, and music through photography (peace to my Samsung Galaxy S9+) and writing for the original incarnation of 'just another day'.

During my first foray into social media as a regular user, I noticed a seemingly quiet trend in contemporary Black music: the ladies were having their night. Artists like GloRilla, Coi Leray, Lakeyah, Erica Banks, TiaCorrine, Latto, and other female emcees and singers started blowing up and initiated a new wave of women's dominance in hip-hop/R&B.

Rollin' Loud and other music festivals featured female hip-hop/R&B artists at every level for a minute.

Although not all these artists would find the same levels of success and visibility in the music industry, it became clear that girls were really running things in Generation Z. Independent female artists especially began to show the promise of genres and styles flowing from hip-hop.

In honor of women and girls around the world, it's only right to speak on this set from Philly's finest, Shortie No Mass.

We first heard Shortie No Mass on 'In The Woods', from De La Soul's classic third LP, Buhloone Mindstate. However, it wasn't until last year that I heard the seminal 'U Like My Style' on an old-school compilation.

Featuring two joints and a remix originally recorded in 1995, Shortie claims her place as a pioneer of mid-to-late 1990's underground hip-hop on this twelve-inch.

'Like This', featuring a smoothed-out track from Rockwilder, shows Shortie floating over the beat:
"45 degrees in the shade

I'm made up of many more degrees to keep you cool
Live and I resided in the woods, felt the need for a change
I'm on the move, so I do it like this!"

A familiar vocal sample of Slick Rick carries the hook as Shortie keeps styling over the jazzy instrumental.

'U Like My Style' and the more laid-back remix combine Shortie with Da Beatminerz, who also recorded all the songs on this single.

Mr. Walt provides an ill piano loop for the original version, while the remix possesses a similar vibe to 'Like This'. Da Beatminerz had their own hand in crafting this sound, which became a signature of the underground hip-hop scene throughout the 1990's. Check out Bahamadia's 'Spontaneity', from her 1996 debut LP, Kollage, for an example.

Shortie comes off with all finesse of an East Coast b-girl in her element:
"I never told a lie, might've twisted up the truth
Yup I speak towards the youth or rather anyone who's rockin'
Beats are knockin' 'cause my man Walt hooked me up
Lovely with the track backed up with the ill verses
Common curses get my point across".

The legacy of female emcees has historically been considered complimentary to their male counterparts, from Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Missy Elliott, Eve, to even Nicki Minaj.

MC Lyte might be one of the first solo female rappers to enter the stage on her own, followed arguably by Dej Loaf and Cardi B in the mid-2010's.

Shortie No Mass may not have a prolific discography, but her top-tier presence on the mic makes her one of those artists that never seem to get proper attention while receiving all the props from true heads.

Shortie released her long-awaited debut LP, Here Goes Nothing, on vinyl in 2021.

This 2002 re-release includes vocal versions on the A-Side and instrumentals on the B-Side. In retrospect, Shortie offers a glimpse into the future of hip-hop as today's youth absorb the sounds of various musical styles and blend them into their own arts.

Peace to the Earth.
++++

Screwball
Who Shot Rudy? [prod. Mike Heron]

b/w
You Love To Hear These Stories [prod. Godfather Don]

August 13, 2025 - Written by Alok

The members of Queensbridge natives Screwball -Poet, K.L., Kyron, and Hostyle- reigned as hood royalty before forming as a group circa 1996. Blaq Poet achieved legendary status with his role in the Bridge Wars, knocking KRS-One's whole block off with the indisputable 'Beat You Down' in 1987. Kyron and K.L. formed underground duo Kamakazee and spit heat over grimy Marley Marl production in the mid-1990s.

After releasing a couple cuts on wax between 1996-1998, Screwball received the attention of hip-hop heads, news media, the New York Police Department (NYPD), and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with the unintentionally controversial first single off their debut album, Y2K: The Album.

Originally recorded in 1998, 'Who Shot Rudy?' dropped after several renown police killings and violent incidents against Black men in New York City sparked nationwide debate on police brutality and accountability. The tragic murder of Amadou Diallo took place shortly before the single shocked airwaves and music video programs.

Imagining Rudy Giuliani's assassination during a press conference, Kyron depicts the then-NYC mayor's shooting death in vivid detail:
"Ayo, who shot Rudy in broad daylight for cash?
I woke up this morning and heard the news flash
They said it happened down in City Hall
He had his wife with'em
Five shots from the crowd made'em fall
It was chaos and pandemonium
Blood covered up the podium
Covered his face and wouldn't show me'em".

Yeesh!

Hostyle, who passed away in January 2020, chants a chorus describing law enforcement's scramble through the five boroughs to search for Rudy's unknown killer.

Mike Heron -co-founder of Hydra Records, former member of The Ghetto Professionals, and leading A&R of Shady Records- provides an appropriately dramatic backdrop replete with cinematic strings, heavy bassline, and Spanish horns.

While intended to introduce the rap world to Screwball, record label politics and intervention from the office of Rudy Giuliani commanded a different fate for Screwball's debut long-player on Tommy Boy Records. Instead of capitalizing on the controversy, Tommy Boy beckoned to an enraged Giuliani and delayed the release of Y2K: The Album for almost a year.

Although Screwball finally dropped in February 2000, their label slowly slipped away and dropped Screwball from their roster after sabotaging the release of a classic Queensbridge project.

The undeterred veterans took their losses in stride and continued crafting street bangers without major label support.

The B-Side assumes a more somber tone as Poet shines alongside fellow Queensbridge pioneer MC Shan for 'You Love To Hear These Stories'. Underground hip-hop hero Godfather Don flips Blood, Sweat & Tears' 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know' for his original version of a deep cut remixed by the Soul Brother Pete Rock.

Blaq Poet blesses the track with hood history and a familiar message while MC Shan revisits his memorable opening on 'The Bridge':
"But you see that time just fly
You was getting high, started believing in your own lies
Got yourself in a clutch
Taking g-packs from n!@@%$ you know hate ya' guts (what!)
Get your shit right, shorty, get your shit tight
Go to school, learn a jewel
Don't be a fool
Don't let nobody hold you back, kid".

Ironically, Poet's recollection of the Bridge Wars ("Time passed by, shit died out/But n!@@#$ got paid off my hood, no doubt") parallels the tale of Screwball's entrance onto the major label scene.

Screwball repurposed Godfather Don's instrumental for the title track of their sophomore joint, Loyalty, released independently on Hydra Records in 2001. K.L., who transcended this level in 2008, utilizes the beat to vent his frustrations about Hostyle disembarking from the group for a solo venture.

Keep your loved ones close...you never know what life has in store.

Although New York City's executive branch and industry machinations stifled Screwball as a collective, Poet, K.L., Hostyle, and Kyron continue to leave an indelible impact on the culture. In true OG fashion, the four grimiest Queens cats on the mic kept making music after their second album touched on their internal issues.

While Queensbridge continues to produce some of New York City's most talented and innovative artists, Screwball's legacy remains.

This now rare vinyl includes clean versions and instrumentals on both sides, making it a classic piece for the heads.

Rest in Peace K.L. and Hostyle...Screwball forever.
++++

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Shortie No MassLike This [prod. Rockwilder]

b/wU Like My Style [prod. Da Beatminerz]August 28, 2025 - Written by AlokAround summer 2020, when I had just left the social justice space to pursue my own path and the world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, I got active on Instagram for the first time.