Pittsburgh native and co-pilot of the high-flying Taylor Gang music label, Chevy Woods has earned name recognition through his association with former mixtape mogul and rap’s heaviest smoker, Wiz Khalifa. Chevy recently released Gangland 2, a DJ Drama-hosted sequel to his successful Gangland mixtape.
This mixtape marks a growth for Woods. He gets assistance on the boards from DJ Drama, probably the most well-known producer in the game right now, along with some assistance from Taylor Gang producer Sledgren. Woods is fortunate enough to spit over a collage of overall impressive beats. He takes full advantage of using his distinctive low voice, various speeds of flow and unique hook structures to change up his style from one song to the next.
The balance between features and solo tracks is perfect for this still budding artist, as he hints at his commercial potential with collaborations from labelmates Khalifa and Juicy J, along with outside help from the likes of King Los and Trinidad James. The features help to show his versatility as a rapper both in and out of his clique.
The only downfall about some of the production is that, while it’s great overall, at times it seems to hark back a bit too much to Wiz Khalifa’s early Cabin Fever mixtape. This may be coincidence, but perhaps Woods and his team are trying to follow the same type of formula that his commercially successful partner made in his road to stardom.
Content on this mixtape is scattered. While much of the mixtape contains the same alcohol and drug-infused lyrics that labelmates Juicy J and Khalifa are synonymous with, there are parts where one can feel the realness of a message Woods is trying to relate.
As the Pittsburgh rap game has come to prominence in recent years (mostly due to Gang and its success), the struggling people of the city’s lower class neighborhoods have yet to find a voice large or skilled enough to tell their story. Woods takes on that role at times throughout the mixtape. Although he does drop the ball sometimes, he shows much promise lyrically for future projects.
While Woods might not be a novice in the mixtape realm, he’s still in the process of creating his own brand as an artist, while simultaneously trying to escape the looming shadow of Khalifa. His delivery style is very similar to Khalifa’s stlybe, but the deepness of his voice contrasts enough to make him stand out.
Perhaps Woods is waiting to deliver his true artist material until his premiere studio album release. Maybe this is the best we will see from him. Regardless, the man is doing work on the tour scene, and he will only work harder. He and his label are showing no signs of slowing down. Stay tuned for what Woods will be putting out in the future.
