Bay Area rapper Berner just released his 20 Lights EP, which you can stream here. One of the EP's highlights was "Cry," which featured Curren$y and The Jacka. This past Monday, we heard the devastating news that The Jacka, undisputed Bay Area legend, was murdered in Oakland. Berner and Jacka had collaborated a few times, and their relationship was deeper than music. Four days after his death, Berner pays tribute to his late homie with a heartfelt Cali anthem, "Still I Ride."
The beat, produced by Cozmo and MaxwellSmart, is basically a remix of "Still I Rise," off the '99 posthumous 2Pac & Outlawz record of the same name. While it doesn't improve on the original, it still has the feel of a California classic. Berner not only pays homage to The Jacka; he also connects his recent mourning with the death of his mother five years ago.
R.I.P. Jacka.
Quotable Lyrics
You're the best in my mind
The whole Bay is shot
The whole world feel hurt
The J-A like Pac
Real legends live forever, that's the truth
We gonna hold your kids down and try to see 'em through