#MusicMonday: McKinley Ave - "Did Dirt To Lay Pavement" (Album) - RESPECT.

McKinley Ave

After working in the background as a producer for Eric Bellinger, Cam’ron, Beanie Sigel, Eve, Kirk Franklin and others, rapper-producer McKinley Ave is stepping out on his own with a new album “Did Dirt To Lay Pavement.” Released today, the 15-track collection features the Los Angeles rapper/producer breaking down the codes and credos of the modern-day hustler lifestyle over high-octane production from S Class, Dj FU and Mike Free.

On the skeletal, bass-heavy “100 Bands,” McKinley teams with Young Dolph and Zoey Dollaz, each of whom outlines his reasons for wanting to stack massive amounts of money. McKinley is also joined by fellow rising artist RJ on the propulsive, club-ready “No Regular,” which was produced by Dj FU and Mike Free. Here, McKinley Ave and RJ explain why regular things no longer excite them: they’ve graduated to bigger ideas, a better reality.

Elsewhere, McKinley Ave pays homage to his non-stop work ethic on “Roosters,” describes his departure from the street life on the reflective “Exit” and warns of the danger of deception on the hypnotic “Dark Side,” which features the hottest group in the game right now, Migos.

He then flexes his storytelling prowess on the piano-accented “Feds.” Inspired by R. Kelly’s “When A Woman’s Fed Up,” “Feds” features McKinley Ave breaking down how social media and technology can be used to trap even the most accomplished hustler.

In the midst of a hustler’s evolution, McKinley Ave knows that a strong, supportive woman is necessary for a man to reach his full potential. Hence “Need In Me,” which features Eric Bellinger and Just Brittany.

It doesn’t matter who you are, how tough you are, you have to have a song on there that shows you’re human, that you still need a woman on your side,” McKinley Ave explains. “You’re inhuman if you think you can run all day doing all this crazy stuff and not have a backbone. You’re setting yourself up for failure.

With “Did Dirt To Lay Payment,” it’s clear McKinley Ave has set himself up for success. Listen to the track at the top of the post and let us know your thoughts.