Hearing Sean Price aka Ruck of Heltah Skeltah spit bars from the grave is akin to a cold chill seizure. When Duck Down Music, his label for x-amount of years, released the posthumous Imperius Rex project in 2017, the feeling was spread out over time. "Apartheid" a song that reunited him with long time friends in Buckshot & Steele (formerly Smiff-N-Wessun), meant something to fans who were privy to their dynastic run in the sweltering NY underground. Lyrics like "This is my slot, rookie, your snot box get rocked over Hydrox cookies," would have conveyed a certain of coldness if it weren't for reflexive thoughts concerning his passing. After 3 years, fans of Black Moon, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C. are no closer to moving onward.
In the "Apartheid" video, many of the constituents associated with the heyday of Duck Down & Priority records showed up unannounced. Several of Sean Price's friendly acquaintances joined forces to lip sync his introductory verse, with Buckshot & Steele reprising their roles as well. The video sequencing accounts for the bare knuckle aesthetic Sean Price would have agreed to himself, had he shot the video.
R.I.P. Sean Price, may your body of work survive the test of time.
