GT Garza Tastier Than Free Fajitas On @ItzGarza

Photos by T. Gray

​Thursday evening, perennially (and unjustifiably) overlooked rapper GT Garza held a release party for his latest tape, @ItzGarza. Sponsored by Jose Cuervo's Platino line, the event was held at SF2 South, a store that has suddenly become a juggernaut within the Houston hip-hop community.

We went, hung out for a bit, listened to the tape a few times, then cobbled together some notes about both. They're below. You know what it is.

#AlbumNotes GT Garza is a talented rapper. He just understands how to do it. It clicks in his brain. He might whiff on a chorus ("Dollars In My Denim") or song idea ("The Man"), but his execution is almost always hardy and full-bellied. Sometimes it's hard to believe that all of his musical ferociousness comes from his thin, thin frame.

It's like a magic trick or something, like when they cram a lady into a teeny tiny box. And that's usually the most interesting aspect of any of his tapes. (Point of Reference: "52 Pick Up") No difference here.

Another thing that's interesting, and this has become more and more common, is the idea of building promotion right into the album itself (the title, again, is @ItzGarza). We'll point you towards this splendid article Jeff Weiss wrote at our sister paper LA Weekly back in 2007 about the origination of this sort of thing.

​#MixerNotes Some of the recognizable faces that were in attendance: producer Cy Fyre, producer/rapper Cory Mo, rapper Dat Boi T, rapper/ponytail enthusiast Bunz (he has two ponytails!), rapper Franchise from the underappreciated duo Franchise and Yung; and photographer/musician/former Artist of the Week/beardist Third World.

Also, and maybe most importantly: Free fajitas. Not cookies, not cupcakes, not sandwiches. Fajitas, bitches. Your move, aspiring rappers with upcoming in-stores.

#MixerNotes There was one point in the evening when Bunz was talking to another guy with a ponytail. That's three more ponytails in a two-person conversation among men than there should've been. Speaking of...

#AlbumNotes Bunz makes two appearances on @ItzGarza, with his work on the Black Eyed Peas-ish "Rock A Show" sounding especially good. He can, at times, try to bully his production, but on "Rock A Show" he lets it guides his cadence. He doesn't do anything terribly complicated or groundbreaking lyrically, but that's kind of what that situation called for. Kudos for that.

#MixerNotes Cy Fyre wears (or was wearing, at least) a calculator watch. That's something you need to know, it felt like. That guy is cool, cool, cool.

#MixerNotes Dat Boi T somehow managed to wear his pants no higher than past his mid-thigh, which is pretty damned impressive.