We’re taking it back to New York in episode #9! Specifically, we’re heading to the Bed-Stuy neighborhood in Brooklyn. One rapper who represents Bed-Stuy to the fullest has got to be Maino. In fact, I just found out that August 16 is officially dedicated as Maino day! Maino was definitely a controversial type of dude. I rarely listened to his music but remembered he was always making the round of news as the rapper that kept slapping other rappers around, quite literally! He had a lot of beef with the likes of Lil Cease, Troy Ave, to Jim Jones. He had a hit song called All the Above with T-Pain that likely brought him commercial success, but that’s not the song I’m highlighting here.

Maino is one of those rappers that I unfortunately can’t listen to for an entire album. However, in sporadic doses, he can shine through. Oddly enough, the song I’m highlighting here also features another very gifted rapper and lyricist that I prefer in tiny bits here and there only. He is none other than Lloyd Banks. Combine the two, and you have an incredible song called My Bandana. From what I remember, Maino started hanging a black bandana/flag in his pocket, similar to the blood and crip gang but in red and blue, respectively. He claims at the time that it represents the struggle that black African American’s like himself have to go through when you’re raised in the streets. Both Maino and Lloyd Banks shined on the track. It’s a song I like so much that it still gets constant listens from me. Although the song was created in 2009, I still think it’s one of Maino’s best song. Just wished it could have been longer with another verse thrown in from both of them! The chorus is just icing on the cake!