Wulf Gawwd and O.G. Rapp Punish Weak Rappers With the "Hurt Bidnezz"

By Nate Hodge

Chicago has been heavily securing it’s position as a mecca in Hip Hop, a position framed by vets like Common, Lupe, and Yeezy then built upon by the Sabas and Mick Jenkins’. In the middle of this are Wulf Gawwd and O.G. Rapp, two MC’s and members of a growing Facebook group called Barz and Notez, a large collective of artists that use the group to post one-off verses and share their love of Hip Hop culture. The group’s moderators are also largely Chicago-based but members are from all over. It was the membership in Barz and Notez that played a big part in the birth of Hurt Bidnezz, the new EP from Wulf Gawwd and O.G. Rapp, presented by Lo Life Ent.

Veteran producer Ace Ha is a member of the group and had seen a verse from O.G. Rapp that impressed him. He reached out to Rapp and let him know he had a beat for him for it. Rapp then got at Wulf Gawwd, a cat Rapp had made music with 15 years ago and had recently made plans to drop something new with. The two paired up with Ace who ended up providing all the production for Hurt Bidnezz, an EP that also features several other members of Barz and Notez.

The tracks on Hurt Bidnezz alternate between oozing with grime and bursting with vivacity, a gorgeous painting of both the underbelly and marquees of the Chi. Gawwd and Rapp make it known immediately on the first track “Gruesome 2sUm” that they are not on any soft shit. This is a place for brick-hard bars and lead pipe punchlines, a spot where both weak rappers and those who disrespect the code will get equally pummeled. Ace Ha’s gritty soundscape on this makes for a perfect accompaniment to Gawwd and Rapp’s spittery.

As mentioned, Ace builds in a good variety into the tone throughout Hurt Bidnezz‘s seven full tracks. “Wrong Muh’Fuckaz” has a high-energy, anthemic feel to it, Barz and Notez posse cut “No Breaks” drops like a war march with blustery horns clearing the way for all involved to chop down the battlefield. Everyone here across the EP is a dope MC, with the roster all representing the Windy City save Cory Tate from Washington State. Listening to Hurt Bidnezz is a good introduction to the talent lurking within Barz and Notez, and for those who get an invite, the record serves as fodder to wanting to see what else these artists are capable of. O.G. Rapp and Wulf Gawwd especially express a penchant for clever bully bars, letting listeners have it while they hang on to see what’s next. This hopefully is the first entry into more from the pair, as for the Barz and Notez fam as a whole. Make sure to peep out the EP at the links below.