Reks – Why Cry (ft. Styles P) (produced by Alchemist).

Reks is part of a class of rappers fervently trying to channel ’94 New York. Across the board, they do a satisfactory job of emulating their heroes. Reks displays a shade of the era’s technical chops, but he bleats tired street rap tropes without adding much of his own. “Why Cry” is a tour of a desolate neighborhood, complete with derelict buildings, ‘fallen soldiers,’ and crying mothers. It’s East Coast rap and that’s good enough for some, including me.

The great thing about these guys is they’re the only ones who get Alchemist, DJ Premier, and Fizzy Womack to produce their albums — all of whom gladly supply beats to the torchbearers of their sub-genre.