Jeezy, MLK BLVD | Track Review

Perhaps he doesn’t ‘change the game’ on banger “MLK BLVD,” but rapper Jeezy sounds recharged, assisted by Philly standout Meek Mill.

Jeezy has ‘gone hard’ from day one – #facts! Unlike some contemporaries, the rapper has definitely remained ‘true to self.’ In 2005, when he broke into the game with Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, he kept it 100.  Perhaps you can argue that the certified ‘G’ could stand to evolve, but then you hear a banger like “MLK BLVD,” and you throw that notion right out the door.  On “MLK BLVD,” he’s assisted by Meek Mill.

Maybe the biggest asset that Jeezy gets on “MLK BLVD” is production by Lex Luger – “Lex Luger on the beat, so what the fuck you lookin’ at?” Luger gives him a totally malicious, menacing, badass backdrop to spit over, period.  Spit is just what he does, bringing absolute fire, fueled by the minor-key hellishness.  Post-intro, Jeezy drops an unapologetic, ‘no F’s given’ chorus:

“I got Dawn on Martin Luther King (Martin Luther King)
Hop out the Dawn on Martin Luther King (Yeah)
I hustle hard, I go and get the check (Check)
They want me dead just like I’m Malcom X (Woo).”

Beyond the chorus, there’s a post-chorus, which, unsurprisingly, throws Rosa Parks into the mix. Also, unsurprising, on the first verse, Jeezy gets political, and goes straight for Donald Trump.  Well to be fair, he also references Kanye West…

“This n*gga talkin’ like he ‘Ye or somethin’
That n*gga must be on that ye or somethin’
Heard what I said, n*gga, fuck Trump
Say it again, n*gga, fuck Trump
Somebody better call CNN…”

That’s only a portion of the first verse, which also mentions Rick Ross, Tom Brady, and Taylor Swift.  Meek Mill takes the reins on the second verse, referencing his drip, his come-up, ‘hoes,’ and the Feds among other things. Regardless, it is Jeezy who’s the star of the show, as he should be.

Final Thoughts 

Jeezy brings the heat on “MLK BLVD.” Call it what it is – #BANGER.  Does the veteran rapper ‘change the game’ with “MLK BLVD?” Absolutely not, but he definitely sounds recharged on this record, and that’s worth noting.

Jeezy • MLK BLVD (Ft. Meek Mill) [Single] • Def Jam • Release: 8.13.19

Photo Credit: Def Jam