Timing is everything and A.M.M.O. happens to be right on time with his new collection of songs entitled New Classic. It takes effort, passion and energy to become masterful in hip hop. And, it takes even more to become a Boss. A.M.M.O. has spent the last 20 years working on his skills with epic results. With an illustrious history of industry mingling, he is no novice to the game. The seasoned artist whose name is an acronym for his full name has worked closely with some of the greatest legends of all time. A.M.M.O. has co-written with 50 Cent, Jaz-O (who put Jay Z on), Raz Kass (a Dr. Dre artist) Memphis Bleek (Roc-a-fella); R&B and gospel artist, Kelly Price, and Pras of the Fugees. In addition, A.M.M.O. was once signed to Def Jam by Hiram Hicks who at the time also signed TLC, Dru Hill, and Kelly Price. While in the throes of working on his debut album, the unexpected happened; Universal came in and shook things up with the pending acquisition of Def Jam. With the assistance of legendary entertainment attorney, the late Burt Padell, he could get out of the suddenly unpredictable deal.
Right album, the wrong time.
So, what happened next?
Life got in the way and A.M.M.O. was called to care for his elderly mother which meant leaving New York and moving to Florida. Then, life happened again. Covid-19 shut down everyone’s lives, plans, and dreams for a minute. He says, “I had two years to reflect and thought, man you have to live for today because tomorrow is not promised. So, I made up my mind to not only do a video for, “The Come Up” but to do a whole EP that I funded out of my own pocket. I’m betting on myself.” The prolific A.M.M.O. plans to release a series of irresistible 5-7 song EP’s; a strategy that will leave fans begging for more.
Welcome to a new style of hip hop that A.M.M.O. calls “Boss Music” just as it sounds, hip hop is intended for more mature audiences. A.M.M.O.’s passion for hip hop stems from his unwavering reverence for creativity. His first love is manipulating words and watching them morph into inventive and meaningful lyrics. He says of hip hop, “I love the artistry of being able to say the most profound things in a not-so obvious way. Being Jamaican, I’ve been exposed to great lyricists like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh my whole life.”
A true student of hip hop, A.M.M.O. admits that he is irritated by newer artists who take shortcuts. He explains, “Back in the day we had to write three full verses with 16 to 18 bars, each verse. And, we couldn’t repeat anything. We also had to write a catchy hook. Today’s artists can write a 12-bar verse and also use it for the hook. Then they just repeat it and sprinkle 8 or 10 bars of rhymes. That’s how we used to rhyme over a hot beat mix tape just for promotion! New rappers now do that for a studio single. It’s lazy.”
With fresh, burgeoning producers Drop and 94 skrt, the first 7-song EP, New Classic, has been a creative journey worthy of the Bosses for whom it was made. New Classic features classic hooks that lock into your brain so that you can’t stop singing. The lush message-driven party-ready tracks are armed with fresh new beats and tantalizing rhyme patterns which is why the time is right for A.M.M.O. Boss music has been curated and crafted to celebrate the success that he and his peers of a certain age have accomplished. As he says in The Come Up, “Real niggas do real things.” His lyrically loaded songs tell stories of success (Flawless, The Come Up) as well as thought-provoking topics such as the dangers of materialism (Pink Lamborghini); domestic abuse (No Other); romantic entanglements (Catching Feelings), and then the hypnotizing Pray for Me, a surprisingly nostalgic nod to the artist’s memories of Brooklyn house parties and original hip hop. However, staying true to himself, A.M.M.O. still keeps it real, however, he makes sure that his songs still have enough substance that makes them worth savoring. “My music is for the thinking, successful listener who still loves hip hop’s golden era. I want to attract fans who have abandoned hip hop because of the lack of content. Today, it’s all about gun culture. I have a little girl now, I can’t let her hear all of that. My music is golden era hip hop with new content. The mission is to restore the feelings hip hop gave us back in the day.” Remember how it felt? For the first time, young Black men were coming up.
Says the Boss himself, “Hip hop never gets old. It’s just time to report back to work.”
AMMO HISTORY
