Through the charged alchemization of hip-hop and punk rock, Old City and MURS truly send listeners into “the thick of it,” with their new song “Sixers.” The track leads with a distinctly ominous bass line from Black Flag’s “Six Pack”. Characteristic of punk rock, the sample from the band’s 1981 album accompanies the storytelling of both MURS and Tr38cho from beginning to the end and meshes into a perfect union with Old City’s signature metrics. 

In this send-up of enigmatic counterculture, MURS takes on the first verse to divulge truths about quasi-hardcore posers before passing the mic to Tr28cho, who goes on to serve listeners the realities of “the exploited blue collar,” and pioneering a new season of punk. The experiences both rappers share through their verses compliment the fact that the song embodies the heart and soul of punk rock, sporting a crude attitude that screams “tough times don’t last but tough people do.”

Watch the video for “Sixers” here: 

The mutinous tone taken on by the Los Angeles rapper MURS in the track pivots slightly from some of his other recent projects, like his collaboration with Atmosphere’s Slug in Felt 4 U, which weaves dreamy, ultra-melodic funk deeply throughout it’s character. The track does, however, stay true to the trademark punk-rock disposition of Old City as well as Buffalo’s Trè Marsh (AKA Tr38cho), Old City’s resident collaborator who is also featured on the song. 

Black Flag’s hard-hitting ideological influence on the world of music is showcased once again through the sampling of their song “Six Pack” in this track, an influence felt by countless other artists, namely members of Rise Against, Dead Cross and Descendents, who have shown their own respect for the material by covering Black Flag’s work. 

The music video for “Sixers” paints (or rather, sketches) viewers into the realm of a crusty punk house, where references to other token acts like Screeching Weasel, Bad Religion, Social Distortion and more join the turbulent party. The song’s raw lyrics are matched with equally raw visuals in it’s accompanying video where scribbled out, flipbook-style images of mosh pits bring lyrics like “full contact melodies” to life, creating a striking experience reminiscent of a long night spent at a punk house-show.