June Thomas is a gangsta rapper from Houston, Texas, affiliated with the South Park Coalition. In 1993 he debuted with an EP released by Bygtime Records, a local hip-hop label: seven tracks, twenty-five minutes, and uncredited guests such as Point Blank ("Officer Down"), Cleopatra ("No Ordinary Nigga"), K-Rino ("13 Wayz"), .38, Black and K-Rino again in the final posse. Johnny Walker and Curtis Whycoff are the authors of the production: they make up a soundscape quite adequate for the delivery of Thomas, aka PSK-13, making simple, funky beats with dark vibes and good samples, and an elementary drum machine.
The intro has these elements, with a vibrant drum, dark sample that makes all the beat dark, tense synth lines in the background and slow and dark syncopated rapping. The second track is pretty honest on funky beats, so the mood goes back to dark for "Headin' for My Trunk". The fourth track is opened by a skit, then boom bap skinny, skeletal, slow and syncopated drum machine, hardcore slow syncopated delivery smooth hardcore, simple chorus, wonderful sample looped tight in the background; it comes from a classic, "Passing Me By" by The Pharcyde — at least, the sample is the same, "Summer in the City" by Quincy Jones featuring Valerie Simpson.
"No Ordinary Nigga" is among the best tunes of this tape: soulful rhythm, boom bap, skinny slow vibrant drum machine, simple hook, good lyrics, smooth slow syncopated delivery by PSK-13, basically dope; splendid soulful jazzy sample in the background, the piece is closed by Cleopatra, an uncredited female guest who delivers in rapping with a slow and flowing style, almost spoken. The last few tracks with K-Rino are pretty solid too, the last one boasts a looped guitar riff in the background surrounded by a tight drum, it's a good posse.
Overall, it's a pretty solid EP for SPC, a must for southern / gangsta southern fans. 7/10.
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