Maino continues to feed his fans with exactly what they want from the self proclaimed King of Brooklyn. The follow-up to his K.O.B 2 reveals numerous aspects of Jermaine Coleman’s complex mentality — from his new views on life to his deep yet emotional state of mind.
Among the 17 tracks on the tape, Maino trades verses with several skilled MCs, including Louisiana’s own Kevin Gates, his fellow Brooklyn comrade Uncle Murda and the late Chinx. Maino recalled when Chinx called him to pitch the idea for their collaborative track “PNP.”
“I do this thing on my Instagram called “p*ssy nigga problems” — where I poke fun at dudes that got problems that only p*ssies would have. It’s some comedy sh*t,” Maino continues. “One day Chinx called me and was like ‘Yo I see what you be doing on Instagram. I got something for that.’ So he sent me the hook and we made it happen.”
Although he executive produced the project along with his right hand man Nick Mitchell, Maino took a slightly different route by recruiting a team of fresh, upcoming artists and beat makers — outside of his usual cast. His band of rising producers, including Jonathan Lature, Chopz, and Black Metaphor, bring sentimental tracks like “Second life” and “Mama Loves Me” to life. Maino also shares the spotlight on upcoming lyricists like fellow Brooklynites Dios Moreno and Tweezie.
The mixtape compiles Maino’s overall feelings about his life thus far. We can feel the heartwarming love he has for his daughter and his day-1 partners on the Black Metaphor-produced “If I Die.” Also, his boiling anger towards the girl who scorned him explodes in his anti-love song, “Battlefield.” Maino literally poured his heart, mind, and soul into each track in an effort to make the ultimate “soundtrack.”
“I want to make life music,” says Maino. “I got club joints on there. I got joints you can play everyday, and I got turn-up joints. But I also got songs you can use for everyday life. When you look in the mirror and you’re dealing with what you’re going through everyday.”
The lead single off the mixtape “Harder Than Them” is the prime example of the inspirational theme, which bleeds from each track. Maino stands his ground as Brooklyn’s reigning goon and isn’t apologetic about who he might offend in the process.
“I want to make music that’s the soundtrack to people’s lives. I want to make music that reflects on what people are going through,” says Maino. “I also want to make music that’s motivational because that’s what my music does. It motivates. I’m going to go harder than them.”
[Photos By Ian Reid]