Tay-K and 1900Rugrat trade verses on the track “Gangstalicious,” combining different backgrounds on the new album #MonstersUnderMyBed.
- Tay-K and Florida rapper 1900Rugrat link up for aggressive bar-for-bar exchanges on the track “Gangstalicious.”
- The collaboration reflects shared realities of a rough upbringing, connecting juvenile detention experiences with ongoing legal controversies.
- The song anchors a wider project that struggles to separate the violent realities of its creator’s life from the actual music.
1900Rugrat’s presence on the track might seem unexpected at first glance. Considering the Florida rapper’s past experience in juvenile detention and his less-than-squeaky-clean upbringing in Limestone Creek, it’s not too hard to understand why Tay-K might see him as a sort of kindred spirit.
Tay-K is also a big fan of Nino Paid. Nino Paid told The FADER of his friendship with 1900Rugrat, stating, “I’m a person from the trenches at the end of the day,” and adding that he can’t “fake relate” to rappers who don’t understand where he’s coming from. The source has a sneaking suspicion Tay-K feels similarly about the company he keeps on this record.
“Gangstalicious” might not be explicitly about Tay-K’s background and present circumstances. However, these realities cast long shadows over even the most playful songs on #MonstersUnderMyBed.
The first line of the repeated hook keeps turning over in the mind: “Sometimes I / be tripping, and I’ll be the first / to admit it,” his halting cadence unfurls. It’s an oddly introspective, even slightly deprecating line, and wildly at odds with the life-threatening bars that follow immediately after.
That doesn’t undercut the song’s snub-nosed appeal. As with much of #MonstersUnderMyBed, it feels nigh-impossible to separate Tay-K’s art from his life.
After all, he first crossed our feeds not as a member of local rap crew Daytona Boyz, but as a 16-year-old doing “The Race” in an attempt to elude murder charges. It’s been nearly a decade, and Tay-K still raps as dynamically as he did in his teen years.
| Artist | Associated Crew / Origin | Notable Context |
|---|---|---|
| Tay-K | Daytona Boyz | Surged to prominence at age 16 |
| 1900Rugrat | Limestone Creek, Florida | Juvenile detention background |
| Nino Paid | The Trenches | Collaborator and vocal supporter of 1900Rugrat |
Listening to #MonstersUnderMyBed, the overarching feeling is that our society’s voyeuristic appetite for violence hasn’t changed that much either over the past ten years.
