Last summer in Los Angeles was marred by a stretch of time described as "100 Days, 100 Nights," a period of sustained gang warfare in retaliation for the murder of a 27-year-old man in South L.A., according to residents and law enforcement. What actually happened during those 100 days may not be entirely clear, but the moment felt important, according to L.A. rapper A$ton Matthews.

On "Coldest Night In Hell," produced by New York beatmaker Velous, Matthews addresses the crisis from his perspective. You really almost gotta lose it all before you see what's missing, he raps, pained. "This track is the vibe of L.A. last summer during the '100 Days 100 Nights' killings that took place in the city. I wanted people to feel the aggression and understand the evils," he told The FADER in an email. "Soon as Velous made the beat, the vibe was set." Listen below.