L’A Capone, born Leonard Anderson, may have tragically lost his life Thursday, Sept. 27, 2013, but his name and music will continue to live on. A collection of the 17-year-old Chicago MC’s last recorded music was put together for his posthumous released mixtape “Separate Myself,” hosted by DJ Bandz.
Cockiness best describes Capone in his intro as he aims to separate himself from the rap competition.
Capone recounts a teacher telling him he wouldn’t be “shit” in life. Capone proceeds to style on his teacher and haters, rapping, “L’A too real, you can’t clone him/If you ain’t talking no bandz, then don’t phone him/Two-tone chrome under the True shirt/Tryna go on a date and get your boo hurt/I don’t like no dramatic jokes/I just separate myself and shit.”
Capone handles “I Got It,” incorporating Def Jam rapper Lil Reese’s trademark stutter flow.
The 600 native raps, “I been seeing hella b*****s since the money/I guess they like how I done came off of nothing/I’m a mouse, yeah I need all that cheddar/He a wreck, I’ma kill em, not gon sweat em/I’m with Lil D-U, you know he toting that Berretta/She blowing me if you knew better, you’d do better.”
A familiar track made its way onto this tape. Capone’s viral street anthem “Play For Keeps” was a major milestone in his career. The DGainz shot visual currently has over 1 million views on YouTube.
Capone expressed devotion to his 600 crew, rapping, “Cause I’d ride and die for my n*ggas/I’d get crucified for my n*ggas/You’ll never see a one on one f*uck boy/The whole squad gonna get you.”
A more memorable line only the real would understand has Capone, rapping, “And if he can’t break bread he fake/I had one more buck in my plate/It was me and bro, we was in the store/And both of us got 50 cents cake.”
Capone couldn’t body this track without the help of his right-hand man RondoNumbaNine who plays for his, rapping, “I ain’t playing no love or games/Since love and games get n*ggas smoked/ Yes there’s a lotta shooters in my squad/Yes there’s a lotta shooters in my squad/If he holding on the work he get robbed/Tech on my neck, I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Capone and Rondo collaborated again on the eerie, hair-raising track “Shooters.” A menacing Rondo anchors this track with threatening bars, rapping, “See there’s some shooters from D-Block/Steve Drive the real D-Block/C-Dai got 22 shots, matter fact he got a mop/Ruger put him in a block/Tay 600 shoot off his top/When we on them f*****g blocks, they know 600 got them jocks.”
Capone showed no mercy on this track, rapping, “There’s some shooters in my clique, Rondo let’s go do a hit/I’m about to empty half the clip, teach you lay low when I dip/They always be running, I’ma catch em every rip/Talking slick, his vocal cords, I’ma rip.”
What separates Capone from others is his work ethic. Capone again collaborated with Rondo for the single “Grindin.’”
Capone raps, “Smoking loud to the face, they smoking quiet (Quiet)/Can’t take my money, I’m feeling savage (Savage)/My n****s out here, they’ll let you have it (Have it).”
Capone reps his set in “Steve Drive,” a Tarentino production. He couldn’t rep his set by himself, which is why he tapped Edai and Rondo.
He raps, “Yall some small fries, round here you get deep fried/They be smoking quiet, they ain’t never lying/When we come round, bet you smell lots and lots and lots of louds.”
L’A Capone’s single “With The Shits” is another phrase for being about that life. Capone talks just that in his DJ L produced-track.
Capone raps, “My n****s with the shits/My n****s off straps all night/We’ll grab that n***a, nine times out of ten, that n***a won’t fight/You ain’t did no hit, I can tell you ain’t took no life.”
Capone touches on the harshness of Chiraq streets in “Round Here.” The Windy City achieved national spotlight for its high homicide rate in 2012 with over 500 bodies’ blood spilled in the streets.
Capone raps, “It’s a lot of violence around here/So a lot of sirens around here/A lot of people dying around here/A lot of people crying around here/Never lacking keep it on my hip.”
It’s “SixDouble0” or nothing for L’A Capone and cronies Edai, S. Dot and RondoNumbaNine.
These BD hard hitters go hard in this 600 anthem.
Capone raps, “Rest in peace, my guys that’s from sixdouble0/40 Cal. Go Bow My side of the town little n****s tote poles/We toting s**t, We blowing s**t on road six-0.”
Capone’s tape fittingly ends with “Brothers,” the last track recorded before his death. Capone requested Durk’s feature on the single. Rondo also added a verse.
Capone anchors the track, rapping, “I promise I won’t switch/You son of a b***h/At 16 had a dream, we was gonna get rich/We gone wake up, put the pipe on/Always been on my own/Gotta stay strong/I gotta be put in my zone/Feeling like I wanna go home, but I’m out here/I put that bug in her ear/I gotta see a mil one year.”
Rondo follows Capone, rapping, “We all some hitters, I’m in the at glory lane just tryna get richer/I’m in that glory lane, loud in my system/Man, they took my bro L’A, I can’t even picture/they took a f****n savage, man bro was a (?)/Me and bro was going crazy, now s**t done got real.”
Durk finished the track, rapping, “I lost my brother, so I keep my heat/made me turn up when I see the opps tweet/L’A my bro, Rob, Odee, Lil Moe/All these hoes gon go/When I claim my gang, Niggas never snatched my chain.”
Capone may have lost his life in a senseless killing, but he didn’t die in vain. His story represents the lives of many other youths in Englewood. His music was a cry for help and an SOS to anyone willing to lend aid to Chicago’s forgotten youths.
Capone recounted a situation in school where he was told he wouldn’t amount to anything in life. He also discussed a situation where he was kicked out of his home and left in the rain.
This is the sad fate of many residents in Englewood who are thrown out like yesterday’s trash and expected to fend for themselves in a cold world. Capone was at a stage in his life where he was questioning life and trying to find his place in the world as most teens do.
Capone found love in the streets because everyone else rejected him. He also used his music as a form of expression. Providing an intimate portrait of one’s life isn’t something many artists would do. But Capone’s tape was the cold, hard truth. He revealed the good, the bad and the ugly about himself.
Capone set himself apart from many artists’ in the city due to this aspect. Capone may have lost his life, but his music serves as his testament. It is a plea for teachers, parents and mentors to take a more active role in their children’s lives to prevent a situation like Capone’s from occurring again.
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