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Watch ASAP Ferg, Wiki and Your Old Droog Flex in this Cypher

City Cypher is a new series by Complex, which aims to showcase a city’s talent and bring back the simple cypher formula. In this first edition we are treated to a plethora of New York talent, with vocal performances from A$AP Ferg, Wiki, and Your Old Droog, with live instrumental performances featuring players assembled by Grammy-nominated jazz musician Christian Scott.

The first instrumental is a simple but modern beat, and with his nasal voice and rhythmic flow, Wiki of Ratking is up first. His humble, down to earth lines relating to integrity and truth blend perfectly with the sorrowful backing and lays a strong base for the cypher.

Next is Your Old Droog, who channels a strong vintage and blunt sound, his newest track Hip-Hop Head reflects this well. The stabbing 808 snare changes and we get a much rawer, gritty sounding break beat where Droog really prospers.

In the lead up to his soon-to-be-released album, A$AP Ferg steps up for the final verse with a powerful conscious, social and political calling which combines effortlessly with the now emotional and moving instrumentation.

And to top it all of we get a solid improvisational session with Christian Scott belting his trumpet to new extremes while bouncing off his fellow members Devonne Harris (keys), Burniss Travis II (bass), Gabe Schnider (guitar) and especially Corey Fonville (drums).

Overall this is an amazing cypher that you have to check out.

Image via Scoopnest