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Usually when a Boston native relocates to Los Angeles, they drop off for a bit, then resurface wearing Dodgers gear, making synthwave playlists, and claiming Drew Doughty compares favorably to Ray Bourque. Nat Anglin has done absolutely none of that, and even after a few years out on the West Coast, still reps his hometown in every way possible.
Now the rapper and aspiring actor is throwing it back to Boston once again on “American Dreamzzz”, a riff on the craziness of the modern world that could only be delivered by some sardonic New England wit. And the beat is strictly Boston, too.
“I wrote the record last year during what I felt was the height of political unrest in this country — I have realized since then I was naive and wrong because apparently with this administration every single day is a new standard for shitty behavior,” Anglin tells Vanyaland. “I got the beat a few years ago from WMS The Sultan, a Boston native, and had been sitting on it since. The record reminds me of early Dipset feel that the Heatmakers used to grab and I was waiting for the right inspiration to write to it.”
Like all of us, Anglin is hyper-aware of what’s going on in our country, no matter what coast he resides on. And since November 2016, he admits he’s “been in a hyper state of craziness,” which is something no American city is immune to.
“While I think it’s important to address social issues and things that are bothering me in my music, I’m careful not to cross over into the preachy side of things,” he warns. “I think most of us can agree that gets obnoxious. At the end of the day music is supposed to be fun, so I figured if I was going to tackle some of the issues that mean something to me and so many others, it might as well have a feel good throwback hip-hop side to it. The chorus is pretty simple, it jacks the “MAGA” statement and makes a mockery of it, as I’m in a foreign vehicle with my immigrant friends. It’s an affront to everything he who shall not be named stands for and at the same time I felt like had a really fun bounce to it. If you gonna say fuck the establishment, may as well have some fun while you are doing it.”
Let “American Dreamzzz” ride on, via the video below.