1.20.2023
Video: Baby Stone Gorillas – “Block Benders”
The Magnetic LA Rap Crew Are Lovers and Fighters in New Video Single from Upcoming The Military Mixtape
Critical Praise:
“…They pass the baton with an uncanny chemistry.” – The Los Angeles Times, The 100 Best Songs of 2022
“The South East L.A. crew are having one of those runs where a regional rapper or group just break off hit after hit.” – Pitchfork
“Over the last year, the four childhood friends turned rappers have released a string of steadily improving and increasingly popular singles, the cumulative millions of music video views all culminating in “Keep Goin” and the other 22 songs on the group’s debut, BABYST5XNE GORILLAS (Baby Stone Gorillas / EMPIRE). They have the potential to be the biggest rappers to emerge from the Baldwin Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, the gang-heavy and palm-tree-lined community that locals know by its foliage-inspired and far more evocative nickname: the Jungles.” – SPIN
“Baby Stone Gorillas have been on an impeccable run as of late, matching consistent releases with a deeply unique sense of artistry that only improves and expands with each new release” – Lyrical Lemonade
“Youthful and fiery, BSG continues to witness their sound sweep over Southern California and are poised to break across the map.” – Our Generation Music
The Video:
With their complementary styles and colorful SoCal charisma, the Baby Stone Gorillas approach street raps with an effortlessly endearing sense of fun. Returning to command the streets for their new video single, Top5ivee, P4K, 5Much, and EKillaOffDaBlocck share “Block Benders.” Over seductive piano and a crisp West Coast synth melody, the street rap quartet recount war stories and flex with an unbothered, romantic tact, as Top5ivee raps, “I used to tote it in the Jansport, and I’m gon get him what he asked for/And I’m gon get it out the mud, I ain’t never had to ask for it.”
Directed by YourJustNTime, “Block Benders” opens on the Gorillas blowing blunts over park benches, when 5Much receives a text from a curly-headed baddie asking him to pull up. With little hesitation, 5Much daps up the gang before pulling off in the SRT and heading her way. As his hook’s melodic serenade transitions into each member’s hard-nosed verse, 5Much drops off his passenger and circles back to the park to pick up the rest of the crew. Whether their opps are on the block or the baddies are calling, like the instrumental’s synth melody, the Gorillas are down to slide.
The video for “Block Benders” arrives following the announcement of The Military, the next Baby Stone Gorillas mixtape. Spanning 23 tracks, the mixtape refines the group’s hard-hitting West Coast sound, its glossy textures, funk-forward rhythms, and boosted bass adding emphasis to quartet’s raw lyricism. The only voices you’ll hear on the album belong to the Gorillas themselves, who shoulder the full trackload without outside features. With contributions from West Coast sound architects like RonRonTheProducer, Juneonnabeat, and more, The Military releases on February 10th via Park Money Records / EMPIRE.
The four members of Baby Stone Gorillas have known each other since they were 10-years-old, and were friends far before they dreamed of music stardom. The rappers have distinct styles and roles: 5Much brings a hustler’s mentality and vents about his life, while EK packs the energy. P4K is the proud instigator known for slick-talking raps, while Top5ivee often comes up with B.S.G.’s catchy hooks. Last summer, the group’s self-titled video racked up views in the millions, precipitating a winning streak of viral singles that included the Pitchfork–approved “Milita
With The Military on the way and much further to rise, the Baby Stone Gorillas are on a mission to prove they’re the realest in L.A. Stay tuned for much more.
Watch “Block Benders”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Stream “Block Benders”: https://music.empi.re/
The Military tracklist:
- We The Ones They Talkin Bout
- Slide on Em
- Off the Meds
- Block Benders
- Watch Your Step
- Wop
- Unstable
- Tomorrow Not Promised
- Vaccine
- Introduce You
- We Love Opp Hoes
- Off His Crew
- Gettin’ Money Steppas
- Fully Active
- Ain’t Like That
- Koldest Addiction
- Miley Cyrus
- In The Field Huntin
- Y’all Know Who Did That
- Let’s Get It Lit Then
- First Place
- Elite
- Murder Musik
Please contact Michelle or T’Keyah for more info.
The Background:
“You can go and listen to damn near 50 people outta L.A., period, but you’ll notice that we’ve got a different sound,” proclaims Baby Stone Gorillas member EKillaOffDaBlocck. E.K., along with group-mates Top5ivee, P4K, 5Much are creating some of the most original music out of the West Coast. From Baldwin Villages, better known as “The Jungles,” this talented quartet blends elements of their street surroundings with imagination, humor, and a will to stand out. In 2021, videos like their introductory “STL Caps & Jay Hats,” “Baby Stone Gorillas,” and the charged-up “Military” made a powerful impression and garnered several million streams. By the end of 2021, OVORadio played music from Baby Stone Gorillas while Shaq reposted a video. Now, B.S.G. readies a 23-track mixtape that features 1takejay, Bla$ta, Band Gang Lonnie Bands, and Wallie the Sensei. “If we don’t capitalize on this moment right now, there’s no other time,” urges P4K. “That’s how we’re treating it: If we don’t do it now, it’s never.”
Links:
BSG: instagram | spotify | youtube
P4K: instagram
5Much: instagram
Top5ivee: instagram
EKillaOffDaBlocck: instagram
“Block Benders”: https://music.empi.
“WOP”: https://music.empi.re/wopstone / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xbNxbke-CQ
“Keep Goin”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oHhK1qloGU
“Start Sumn”: https://youtu.be/xcoO8VtO664
“That’s What You Suppose To Do”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAV6PUUJdH4
BABYST5XNE GORILLAS: https://music.empi.re/babyst5xne
“Do It Up” ft. Wallie The Sensei: https://youtu.be/11-USp41ao8