“We gave y’all four f***ing years to catch up… Shout out to a couple motherf***ers that did do they s*** but ain’t nobody did it like us. Where y’all plaques at?”. That is the type of energy that Los Angeles, California rap tandem Shoreline Mafia is on right now after dropping “Work”. The duo, known for their dark and club-ready sound, made their long-awaited comeback just over a month ago.
After a busy 2020, which saw them drop single after single, as well as their fifth overall project, Mafia Business and its deluxe, they went radio silent. You could find OHGEESY and Fenix Flexin doing some solo work, but absolutely nothing for four years. Almost assuredly, there had to be some people out there who had their doubts about how they would sound together after such a long break. Those concerns have certainly been put to rest, as “HEAT STICK” is already doing serious numbers, raking in over 24 million streams on Spotify. What is insane about them dropping “Work” is that their next album could feature slapper after slapper. That is seemingly the trajectory Shoreline Mafia is on, as this track has incredible bounce and some sticky four-count flows.
Lookin’ at her on the ‘Gram, I’m lookin’ at her on my camera (Ayy, ayy) Freaky white b****, I feel like Tony Montana (Feel like Tony) Couple thousand dollars, we gon’ pour it in a Fanta (Pour it up) She told me go to work, so I’m whippin’ out the hammer (Pull that d**k out) Work, work, work, work, work, work, baby, work it I just killed it from the back, turn that p***y to a pack
Over the last few years, it feels like a lot of rap groups have been splitting up. Unfortunately, some of the most well-known collectives, like Migos and Injury Reserve, for example, have disbanded due to tragic deaths. However, there are also just some that were formed years ago and have gone their separate ways to forge their solo careers. But there is still a glimmer of hope that rap crews are not dead.
One source of light we can look to is the West Coast-based entity Shoreline Mafia. The Los Angeles, California tandem spearheaded by OHGEESY and Fenix Flexin, are reunited after quite the hiatus. To be more exact, the high school friends have been doing their own thing for about four years. The last offering we heard from them was their album Mafia Bidness.
The project had features from 03 Greedo, Mike Sherm, Future, Duke Deuce, Wiz Khalifa, YG, and plenty more. Now, Shoreline Mafia appears to be back on the fast track toward a new project with “HEAT STICK.” This dark and moody banger sees Fenix and OHGEESY detail a night of debauchery and partying. You can check out the song and brand-new set of visuals above.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new single “HEAT STICK” by Shoreline Mafia? After four years of no music from the duo, is this track satisfying, why or why not? Who had the stronger performance on this cut? Do you think a new album is in the works? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Shoreline Mafia, OHGEESY, and Fenix Flexin. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
As I look at my wrist, it’s about that time But if I look too long, then I might go blind I got ten bad b****es pullin’ up at 9 Should we f*** at Fenix crib, or should we f*** at mine? We gon’ split ’em down that middle, I get five, you get five Then we switch ’em in a little, I get yours, you get mine
Throughout the history of Hip Hop, several rappers have achieved solo success after leaving their groups, such as Lauryn Hill and Ice Cube, among others. The same could be said about OhGeesy these days. Even while he was a member of the Hip Hop group Shoreline Mafia, there was always particular attention on OhGeesy. Now, with the group no longer together, the rapper is on the rise as a as a solo act. As he builds up his solo catalog, the rapper may be on his way to joining the ranks of the rap icons mentioned above. In the meantime, for those who aren’t familiar with OhGeesy and his works, here’s what you need to know.
Born Alejandro Carranza on November 27, 1993, OhGeesy is a Mexican-American rapper. When he was much younger, his parents immigrated to the United States. Subsequently, they settled in East Hollywood, where the rapper eventually grew up. On an episode of No Co-sign on Complex’s YouTube channel, he shared that he had a difficult upbringing. He spoke about growing up poor through elementary and middle school, living in a two-bedroom apartment that housed ten people. Additionally, he shared that growing up, all he wanted to do was join a gang like his dad and stepdad. However, the rapper took it upon himself to change the trajectory of his life. As he shared on No Co-signs, he said to himself, “I don’t want to be around all this s**t. I’m out.” His conviction to change his life’s story eventually drove him to pursue a music career.
Forming Shoreline Mafia
In 2012, at the age of 19, OhGeesy met and befriended Fenix Flexin (Fenix Rypinski). They began making music together and effectively became the founding members of Shoreline Mafia. The lineup of the group was completed soon after when the remaining two members joined, Rob Vicious (Robert Magee) and Master Kato (Malik Carson). The members of Shoreline Mafia produced and recorded music together for a while after they met. However, it was not until 2016 that they officially became a group.
The Ascent & Disbandment Of Shoreline Mafia
Shoreline Mafia released their debut mixtape ShoreLineDoThatShit in November 2017. It’s the only project from the group to be released independently. In May 2018, Shoreline Mafia signed to Atlantic Records, and the mixtape was re-released under the label. Backed by a major label, it surpassed its initial numbers and went on to sell over 500,000 units in the US. As such, the project is now Gold-certified by the RIAA. In addition, it also contains three RIAA-certified tracks, “Musty,” “Nun Major,” and “Bottle Service.”
The group achieved further success with their feature on Rob Vicious’ solo mixtape, Traplantic. The mixtape was released in 2018 and houses the hit single “Bands,” which features the other members of Shoreline Mafia. Altogether, the song has sold over two million units in the US, and 160,000 units in Canada — certified 2x Platinum in both countries. It remains the group’s biggest song and helped push OhGeesy and his friends further up the mainstream ladder.
Furthermore, Shoreline Mafia released two EPs, Party Pack and Party Pack, Vol. 2 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The latter peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking their first appearance on the chart. Subsequently, Mafia Bidness, the group’s sole studio album, was released on July 30, 2020. It peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming their highest-charting project to appear on the chart. However, months prior, in April 2020, Fenix Flexin announced that he would be leaving the group after Mafia Bidness dropped. Soon after, the group was disbanded, and its members are now pursuing solo careers.
Seeing that OhGeesy had already built a rep while he was in Shoreline Mafia, it wasn’t difficult for him to bag collabs. After Shoreline Mafia separated, the rapper signed a solo record deal with Atlantic Records. In 2021, he was featured on “For Real” by Drakeo the Ruler. In May, he dropped “Get Fly” ft. DaBaby, and in July 2021, he followed it up with the YG-assisted “Big Bad Wolf.”
OhGeesy released his debut solo album, Geezyworld, on August 27, 2021. The 11-track album included appearances from artists like Central Cee on “Startn Up,” and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie who appeared on on “Keeper. A deluxe version dropped on February 18, 2022, with seven additional songs. In addition, it contained more guest appearances from the likes of Big Scarr and Eladio Carrion.
Geezyworld 2, the rapper’s sophomore album, was released on May 5, 2023. It is his most recent project, and arguably his most popular solo album yet. The 23-track project features guest appearances from Tyga, Bino Rideaux, BIA, and Cash Kidd, among others. “GEEKALEEK” ft. Cash Kidd is currently the biggest song on the album. Also, the version of “GEEKALEEK” featuring BIA is among the most popular songs in OhGeesy’s solo catalog.
Since Shoreline Mafia disbanded, OhGeesy has done considerably well on his own. Without a doubt, the rapper has a promising career ahead of him. Certainly, he has experienced hitches along the way, and a few legal issues. For example, he was arrested in 2022 for possession of a firearm and codeine. Notwithstanding, if he stays focused on the music, he could become a very prominent rapper soon enough.
