Thirty years ago, Ice-T released “Colors” as a companion to Dennis Hopper’s film of the same name. Both the song (which climbed up the Top 100) and the movie starring Sean Penn and featuring early appearances by Don Cheadle, Damon Wayans, and Leon were timepieces of 1980s gang culture.

Ice-T chronicled the codes of the streets in Southern California with a chilling beat that would let no listener forget to look around and salute the appropriate flags. In 2018, many rhyme spitters brandish their affiliations on wax. However, in a tradition that dates back to even before the successful Bloods & Crips’ Bangin’ On Wax releases in the early ’90s, there have often been demonstrations of unity across color-lines.

Mozzy Fits In Nicely With Rap’s Top Dawgs. He & Jay Rock Extend Their Chemistry (Audio)

Enter Freddie Gibbs, Mozzy, and G Perico. This trio assembles on League Of Starz’ “Colors.” Not a remake of Ice-T’s hit (which has been done many times over), this jazzy song does illustrate (in color) how those codes of the street remain today. Gibbs, who has shouted out gangs by name on records since the beginning of his career, opens the song with a verse that retraces his move from the streets of Gary, Indiana to Los Angeles, California. Gangsta Gibbs explains what he learned when it came to doing business in the streets as an out-of-towner, and dating gangsta-girls. As he does so well, the ESGN O.G. also tackles the chorus.

﻿

South Central, Los Angeles’ G Perico rhymes next. On 2017’s 2 Tha Left album, the rising MC sporting the curl displayed his bandana, not his face. As a native of the City of the Angels, he raps about whipping some of the same candy-colored cars as Gibbs, and how the same colors often fight against one another. The shooting survivor also explains how the penitentiary has the same gang politics as the hood.

Nipsey Hussle & Snoop Dogg Show The Complexity Behind The “Colors” (Video)

Sacramento’s Mozzy closes things out. A close affiliate of TDE, the raspy-voiced MC explains what a day in his life looks like as a public figure with very prominent ties in a short closing verse.

Previously, League Of Starz has made songs with The Game, E-40, and Jay Rock.

King Harris II Colors His Own West Coast Reality Into An Ice-T Classic (Audio)

#BonusBeat: Ice-T’s 1988 music video:

The song is produced by Afrika Islam.