YSR Records/YN Records, 2020
YN Jay, a.k.a. “The Coochie Man” is one of the frontmen of the newly-emerging Flint, Michigan rap scene, actively working to put the city on the music map. He first began to gain viral popularity in late 2020 with his comedic rap songs like “Triple S,” “COOCHIE” and “Coochie Land,” but he’s more than just a comedic rapper; he’s also a unique character with a charismatic personality. Once his songs eventually gained the attention of Drake and Lil Yachty, the rest was history. He's now a promising rapper with an undeniable skill set that he uses to entertain. The entire state of Michigan is host to a number of different rap scenes that are unique in their own ways, the most famous being Detroit, home of hip-hop legends Eminem, Royce da 5’9” and J Dilla, as well as staple rappers like Big Sean and Danny Brown. The newest generation of Detroit rappers is one with its own distinct sound executed by the likes of Sada Baby and Babyface Ray. Just an hour away is the city of Flint, with a somewhat similar, but much more raw and unapologetic hip-hop scene full of charismatic rappers, but none quite like the Coochie Man himself, YN Jay.
On Flint Tropics, YN Jay teams up with fellow Flint rapper and funny-man Ysr Gramz to deliver a hilariously entertaining 7-song EP. It’s named after the basketball team in the raunchy, Will Ferrel-starring comedy movie from 2008, “Semi-Pro.” If you’re familiar with the movie or even just Will Ferrel’s humour in general, it’s rather hilarious to know that there’s now a rap project named after it, but I think it’s safe to assume that this is exactly what Jackie Moon (Will Ferrel’s character), would want it to sound like. I’m joking, but seriously, everything about this project, from its name to its content is just so hard not to enjoy. The production is full of heavy 808’s and snaps that provide the perfect platform for YN Jay and Ysr Gramz to get off their funny bars. On the intro, “Jackie Moon,” YN Jay instantly grabs listeners’ attention, whether good or bad or just out of pure confusion; he opens the album by exclaiming “damn, I just lost my voice,” preceded with random swear words and questionable moaning or grunts or however you want to describe this sound. Whatever you think of him, you’re instantly hooked and want to hear more. Depending on what music you typically listen to or how familiar you are with this style of rapping, questions like “Is this guy for real?” may come to mind, but what follows is sheer entertainment. On “Blood Family,” he randomly raps “I’m a real street n****, I eat ramen noodles.” Beyond the wildness of his lyrics themselves is his sometimes off-kilter flow that makes him sound more like he’s talking than actually rapping. It gives his delivery a more conversational tone and sounds like he's just trying to keep up with the beats by literally rapping whatever comes to his head. On “Get the Fuck Here,” YN Jay claims to know a girl he’s with is an alcoholic because she’s 21 years old and drinks beer. On “Viral Rap,” the duo again attempt to go viral off of their signature comedy with absurd bars such as when Jay claims to be “mad as hell” at James Harden and questions where his NBA championship ring is (he doesn’t have one). He also mentions the physical complications his body faces from drinking some bad lean; “I just drank some bullshit lean, I gotta doo doo.” While each bar is even more random and troubling than the next, there’s real thoughts and emotions behind the comedy. Bars like these are riddled throughout the EP’s entire 14-minute runtime, making their presence short and sweet, which is probably most effective for their style of rapping. This is the exact style of rap that “old heads” most certainly cannot stand, but the entertainment value is A1.
While Flint has had global attention since 2014, it’s been for all of the wrong reasons, as the Flint Water Crisis was a public health crisis in which the city remained without clean drinking water until 2019. The emergence of their very own prominent rap scene allows for the city to cling onto a newer identity; an entertaining and unique one that YN Jay is taking full advantage of. YN Jay’s raps are evidently comedic, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that his abilities should be discredited or even considered to be solely comedic. Hidden in the comedy is blatant honesty and overwhelming truth that reflect his environment and upbringing in Flint, Michigan.
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