Curren$y And Smoke DZA Stay In Their Lane With ‘The Stage’ Mixtape

The Jet-Life movement has been quietly on fire in the past year. Curren$y has been on a tear since the release of his album, dropping EP’s left and right, while Smoke DZA's fan base continues to expand at a rapid pace following the release of K.O.N.Y. and his tour dates with Wiz Khalifa and A$AP Rocky. Looking to quench the thirst of fans who desire new music from the duo, Spitta and Dza link up for a collaborative effort with The Stage, a four-song EP of hazy, atmospheric tracks produced by Harry Fraud.

They set the tone early with “First Light” as Dza sparks off his first verse sharing his indifference towards mainstream success with bars like, “Fuck the fame give me the money and bud/Nigga could walk through Harlem and its nothing but love.” Spitta and Smoke have always done things their way, and have carved out a very successful careers without giving up creative control of their music. The New Orleans native continues to deliver evocative imagery in his music, epitomizing cool with his word choice on each song. Curren$y guides the fans into his dream world on “First Light” with braggadocio bars like, “Exit In the Striker Boat, clean as fuck, eatin millions and shittin' so/It's in the ceilings, it's in the walls, it's in the in floor/That’s old news, the real drugs is in the flow.” Clocking in at 14 minutes, the EP is classic Spitta as of late, as he continues to prove quality over quantity reigns supreme.

Spitta Andretti and DZA are often at their best when they stick to a select few hands on deck for producing a project. One could argue the best projects by Curren$y (Cigarette Boats, which XXL chose as the EP of 2012) and Smoke DZA (Rugby Thompson) were due to creating the sound foundation with one select guy. The common factor in both of those projects was Harry Fraud, so the dynamic duo called La Musica De Harry Fraud’s number for all four tracks on this one. The NYC producer strings together a flawless blend of beats throughout the tape. Track placement plays a great role in the success of Harry Frauds impact on The Stage: The transition from the energetic “First Light” to the mellow sounds of “Gifts” is tighter than Terrance Howard’s du-rag, as DZA spits in the first verse. Fraud is on top of his game with "10 Bricks," digging in the crates for a sample with a tinge of southern twang that's perfect for Big K.R.I.T. to dominate the hook over.

“You rocking with the innovators, imitated, never duplicated/If you don’t feel that chances is you a hater,” says DZA on tape's first verse. Spitta and DZA have paved their own lane and others have tried to re-create it, but none can truly capture the essence of their sound. With The Stage EP, the stage has been set for more great music to come from both artists in 2014. --Christian Mordi