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Let the record show that Nike Nando is fed up. The Maryland rapper has been laboring away on the local hip-hop scene for years, so
hard work is routine for him. That’s why he’s offended by shiftless artists searching for handouts, a nuisance he laments on “Put Me On.” On the self-produced offering, Nando shares some words of wisdom for fellow rappers seeking the easy route: put some work in. “I don’t do no handouts, I don’t owe you nothin’/ So if I syce you once don’t always expect somethin’/ Get it on your own, get it how you live/ Get up off your ass, homie let me live.”
“Put Me On” resonates with any music writer whose inbox gets blitzed by a seemingly nonstop flow of struggle rap, especially the stuff that comes from folks who aren’t familiar with the blind copy function. There’s a special place in hell for those who don’t BCC, and I think Nando would agree.
Nando’s Icon: Lord of the Flyy is due out June 13. Listen to “Put Me On” below.