When I lived in NYC, I learned just how thoroughly a song can penetrate a city. Living there in 2006, the song that I heard in shops, cabs, clubs, delis, and anywhere with a sound system was T-Pain’s “I’m In Love With A Stripper.” Like, everywhere, I couldn’t get away from it.
When I moved to L.A. in 2007, I learned how obsessed Angelenos are with cars. I learned this the hard way because my shitty Canadian car got no respect on L.A. freeways. My car was brand new in 1995, the same year MASTA ACE INCORPORATED’s album Sittin’ On Chrome came out.
The MASTA ACE INCORPORATED crew was made up of Brooklyn’s Masta Ace, Eyceurokk (Eyce, Uneek, and Rokkdiesel), Lord Digga, Paula Perry, and R&B vocalist Leschea. After the huge success of Masta Ace Inc’s remix of “Jeep Ass Niguh” for their 1994 album SlaughtaHouse, their record label, Delicious Vinyl, asked them to make an album dedicated to car culture. Car culture wasn’t really a thing in Brooklyn, but it was a real big thing in L.A. So Sittin’ On Chrome was born.
In the summer of 1995, all you heard on the L.A. streets was “Sittin’ On Chrome.” The same year Suge Knight kicked off the most lethal era of the East/West beef. In his 20th Anniversary interview with WatchLOUD (watch it below), Masta Ace talks about how the success of Sittin’ On Chrome was a double-edged sword as an East Coast rapper. His hometown of Brooklyn saw him as a sell-out because he’d played to West Coast sound and culture, but the album itself was a huge success.
27 years later, and this album still shines like the chrome that inspired it. The production was ahead of its time, and while it’s definitely of its era, it doesn’t feel dated. It’s on heavy circulation in the CVLT Nation HQ and in the CVLT Nation ride. Masta Ace Inc is underrated and deserves all the shine for Sittin’ On Chrome.
