Last Time That I Checc'd (Nipsey Hussle Tribute)

AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER & ANTI-RACISM ACTIVIST MATT HSU’S OBSCURE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2021 ORCHESTRA RELEASES POWERFUL DEDICATION TO NIPSEY HUSSLE ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, FOR THE LATE RAPPER’S 35TH BIRTHDAY.
‘LAST TIME THAT I CHECC’D (NIPSEY HUSSLE TRIBUTE)’ STREAM + VIDEO [PRIVATE LINK]
THE TRACK FEATURES L-FRESH THE LION, NARDEAN, MACK RIDGE, BLAQ CARRIE, SACHÉM & SOL CHLD, WITH MATT HSU’S OBSCURE ORCHESTRA.

On August 15, Asian-Australian artist Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra and a remarkable lineup of talent will mark the birthday of community leader and rap luminary Nipsey Hussle. 

Artists L-FRESH The LION, Nardean, Mack Ridge, Blaq Carrie, Sachém & SOL CHLD join the Obscure Orchestra for a vibrant remix of ‘Last Time That I Checc’d’, Hussle’s 2018 hit single from his debut album, Victory Lap. The song’s royalties and profits are being donated to the estate of Nipsey Hussle, who was fatally shot outside his Los Angeles clothing store in March 2019. 

Matt Hsu, a 2020 Queensland Music Award winner, can testify how Nipsey Hussle’s legacy impacts First Nations and culturally diverse Australians. “Experiencing racism as a young Asian kid in Australia, I gravitated to role models like Nipsey. His strength and pride in his Eritrean and Black American identity, and advocacy for all people of colour, helped me cherish my own immigrant background.”

‘Last Time That I Checc’d (Nipsey Hussle Tribute)’ puts front-and-centre artists of First Nations, Sikh, Zimbabwean, Egyptian and Taiwanese backgrounds, featuring local hip-hop stars alongside new voices. “I sought out bold voices in the Australian artist community, people who I feel carry the flame of Nipsey’s independent spirit and community-minded thinking,” says Hsu.

“Nipsey established something for both himself and his community. But, unfortunately, having passed when he did means the world won’t ever get to see what he would have been at his peak,” adds Sikh-Australian rapper L-FRESH The LION. “His music and message are examples of what a person can achieve with determination and vision.”

As Indigenous rapper, Mack Ridge spits, “Straight up Hussle in the house, from motivation to dedication/raise a fist for every one of my First Nations.”

Hsu’s ‘experimental orchestra’ sound creates a richly-layered take on the track’s original 1500 Or Nothin and Mike & Keys production, with assists from flautist Hannah Reardon-Smith, taiko player Kaya Tominaga and drummer Katie Randall. The tribute was mixed and mastered by Hsu and Peet Gardner of So Soap Studio, and directed by Hsu and Rod Pilbeam, with footage filmed at home during Sydney’s COVID lockdown by L-FRESH The LION and Nardean. The music was created on Turrbul, Jagera and Gadigal land—sovereignty was never ceded.

Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep
Last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mil' no sweat
Last time that I checked
I'm the streets' voice out West
Legendary, self-made progress
Last time that I checked
First, you get the money, then respect
Then the power and the heat come next
Last time that I checked

I carried the whole set, whole rep
Whole city on my back, no doubt I’ll never forget
I been grinding all my life, put in a hundred percent
’Til we up on top, and show ‘em we represent
Straight up Hussle in the house, from motivation to dedication
Raise a fist for every one of my First Nation
Take a L, just to setup for the win
So it’s ten toes down and it’s all money in

First things first RIP Nipsey Hussle
Thank you for the wisdom, always kept it on the double
Pushing independence was your mantra, your mission
Free game, all the time, you awoke my ambition
From afar, I could tell that belief was your engine
Decoding the game every step of your ascension
BNE to Crenshaw, we keep the fire burning
Nipsey blue, smiling down, as one of the chosen

Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep
Last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mil' no sweat
Last time that I checked
I'm the streets' voice out West
Legendary, self-made progress
Last time that I checked
First, you get the money, then respect
Then the power and the heat come next
Last time that I checked

Yeah, the marathon continues, talk about a legacy
I’m tryna move with that Nipsey Hussle energy
In a different league, champion tendencies
Destined for greatness, some things are meant to be

Yeah, what you know about dedication (what you know about it)
Multiply your efforts, level up, elevation
Gone too soon but this a celebration
Word to Pac, now kids wanna be the Nipsey of their generation

Obsessed with progress, players and coaches
It takes a team to bring hope to the hopeless, ay
West Sydney on the map, that’s the project
They got they cameras on us but their messing up the focus

Steppin’ up the protest, marching in the streets
And our banners be the dopest
Pickin’ off the poachers, the ones who profit off our kind
Take the profits back, that Nipsey Hussle and grind

Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep
Last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mil' no sweat
Last time that I checked
I'm the streets' voice out West
Legendary, self-made progress
Last time that I checked
First, you get the money, then respect
Then the power and the heat come next
Last time that I checked

Nip see he was teaching wealth, and now we know nothing else
Sights set on success, build it up let it reveal
The dedication, knowledge and patience
I learnt the struggle from my parents now I’m tryna exchange it

Now we livin large, but keep it humble, that’s the mission charged
They’ll try and sway you, stay true to the path your on
‘Cus if they change you then they’ve made you just another pawn
It’s all a game don’t get played, keep your focus on

Look, I can feel my intuition so it’s real now
My ancestor’s spirit something I can feel now
I can’t deny the grind is slowly getting real
Need the money upfront brother when we strike a deal

And no hold outs, Autobots when we roll out
A hundred nights on the road when it’s cold out
You won’t know the hustle ’til them shows is sold out
The marathon continues ’til the day we fall out

Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep
Last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mil' no sweat
Last time that I checked
I'm the streets' voice out West
Legendary, self-made progress
Last time that I checked
First, you get the money, then respect
Then the power and the heat come next
Last time that I checked