Lil Moe 6Blocka teams up with his longtime friend and mentor Rooga on SCRAPPERS. In advance of the mixtape’s release, the Chicago rappers shared the gritty first single, “Get You Wacked.” Produced by C-Sick, one of the pioneering producers of the Windy City’s drill scene, the track bristles with bravado and sly wordplay, announcing the duo’s auspicious arrival and establishing them as a force to be reckoned with.
The official video, directed by Bill Kauck, follows Moe and Rooga through the streets of Chicago over the course of a night that’s filled with camaraderie and tragedy.
Moe is a disciple of drill rap who spits bars with unparalleled charisma, defying skeptics and the status quo. Just 16, he’s been on his own since age 11. A friend and collaborator of the late rapper Dooski, Moe has established himself as the voice of a new generation in Chicago with high-octane hits like “Risky”, “Leave Em Stretched,” “Nothin,” “Ion Know,” “What I Say” and “6Blocka.” Rooga has been a lynchpin of the Chicago rap scene since the release of his acclaimed 2016 tape, I Am Scrapp. After losing too many loved ones to gun violence, he became a community activist.
SCRAPPERS is a powerful testament to the importance of mentorship, and features a blend of stirring drill beats, earworm melodies and an easy rapport that demonstrates the strength of their connection. The mixtape’s title is multi-faceted metaphor. It’s a nod of respect to Rooga’s little brother “Scrapp” and others they’ve lost – heartbreaking experiences that have left Moe and Rooga as the “scraps,” the remaining fragments. And it’s about scrapping – doing what you need to do to overcome.
Stream Get You Wacked here.
“Both Moe and I have been losing friends, losing brothers, and we’re tied by that bond,” explains Rooga. “It’s hard to cope with it. I have times when I just break down. When I get in the studio, I have to speak to it because it’s the only way people will understand us. There’s an emotional side to Chicago rap beyond just drill shit. We love drill, but we can be more than that.” Moe puts it directly: “The most important thing Rooga told me was that the streets ain’t about nothing.”
Moe and Rooga have taken different paths, but they’ve come to the same conclusion: Rap is both the best way to remember those they’ve lost, and to try to prevent that pain from happening again.