.png)
By Tahisha Charles for BCN #135
May 4, 2021
Growing up in Jamaica Plain is all about survival. Despite recent gentrification, you can’t mask the 73 percent increase in domestic assault cases and 30 percent increase in motor vehicle larceny (Lynds, 2020) happening in the E-13 district. However, through it all, Trottie Gang’s Y Gizzle makes the best of it. Previously arrested during a sweep conducted by the Boston Police Department Youth Violence Strike Force, BPD SWAT, and the City Wide Drug Unit back in February, that hasn’t stopped the artist from doing what he does best: rap. In 2020 alone, Y Gizzle has released 13 singles in the midst of his project, True Stories (Deluxe). This year, the Heath Street native dropped three singles and two remixes in anticipation of his sophomore effort, Project Baby, coming April 24th.
“If you go on Youtube and you see all my tracks, I’m not just a drill rapper, I’ma talk to the streets,” said Y Gizzle during an interview on the CTWFB Podcast. The rapper isn’t lying either. If there’s one thing he’s going to talk about that people can relate to, it’s his pain. After starting the #FreeTrottieMoula campaign, Y Gizzle released a visual called “Far Away,” where he wishes he could escape his reality.
This further affirms why Y Gizzle’s music is needed in the city - to feel like we’re not alone—a feeling we all know too well. Project Baby is set to feature 10 tracks with no features. Be sure to stay tuned and follow Y Gizzle on Instagram via @trottieygizzle