
The jab is the boxer's way of saying "no bullshit." It rarely produces a knock out, but if landed enough, the over-gelled ring announcer usually heralds a victory. Consider this the Long Island-raised Prafit's dedication to directness - there's nothing fancy or groundbreaking about this song. Just a hard hail of punches, one after the other, with little wasted motion and forceful delivery. "Ain't no time to be playin', I'm running from the law," he sums himself up. Disco Vietnam's beat is an ideal complement, a minimalist stomp of minor key pianos a la Havoc and aggressive boom-bap [...]

Fresh off three consecutive weeks in rotation on Hot 97's Real Late with Peter Rosenberg comes Prafit's "New York Swing, the Strong Island rapper's latest collaboration with blog and blunt baron, Disco Vietnam . Like its antecedents, "Nice Weather" and "My Life", "New York Swing" channels the city's mid-90s vintage without lapsing into over-cautious rehash. The beat's piano line lifts like a balloon, with an ascendant organ line also angling towards the heavens. Prafit anchors it back to earth, with some brick-bat, bloody-nose raps that seemingly bear out an influence from Uncontrolled [...]

I like this a lot. A low-key NY anthem by Long Island emcee Prafit, produced by the homey Disco Vietnam. "Swing"' has been getting some love on Real Late with Pete Rosenberg , which is cool. Strong Island y'all. DOWNLOAD: Prafit – New York Swing BONUS: New York Swing (Instrumental) More Prafit, all produced by Disco. I'm especially fond of "Nice Weather". DOWNLOAD: Prafit – Nice Weather DOWNLOAD: Prafit – My Life

Lyrically, "My Life," the latest jaunt from the duo of Passion of the Weiss contributor/marijuana guru/Jedi warrior Disco Vietnam and Long Island's Prafit, doesn't extend much further than facile similes, shit-talking braggadocio, and shout outs to the pair's Strong Isle roots. But as on "Nice Weather," the pair showcase an impressive chemistry, with Prafit adroitly attacking the beat's soulful, plangent horn section and stutter-step drums. Plus, bonus points are earned for the name-drop of one of the half-dozen or so redeeming No Limit cuts, Silkk the Shocker and Mystikal's "It Ain't My Fault." All nepotism aside, [...]

While New York has gotten rocked by thunderstorms all day long, our weather in Los Angeles is picture-perfect. 80 degrees, spectacular sunshine, fulfilling every cliche you could ever conjure about the SoCal summer. Unfortunately, while my friends are headed to the beach, I'm on deadline furiously attempting to finish a Rock the Bells preview for the Weekly. Naturally, consolations are scarce, but Prafit's "Nice Weather" has been one of the finest I've found this afternoon. It's produced by my good friend and sometime PoTW contributer, Barry "Disco Vietnam" Schwartz, so take the praise with a dose of skepticism. [...]