D-Stroy. — Image from the artist’s MySpace.

D-Stroy and Q-Unique are Bushwick-bred emcees who’ve had a presence in the area since their teens in the early ’90s. Both were part of a hip hop group called The Arsonists, which started here and was in fact originally named the Bushwick Bomb Squad. Although that may be an era past, the two still get down, and this track they flipped together will give you an idea how low.

Like much of the album it comes from – Q-Unique’s Between Heaven & Hell, which dropped last month – “My Block” recalls the style of that time in New York. It was a period that focused on lyrical complexity, and this cut is full of fast paced lyrics overflowing with rhymes that sketch a dark portrait of street life in the hood. The emcees ride over a moody, sparse beat produced by Rob Flow. It revolves around a sample of what may or may not be a tar, which is a Persian string instrument.

Check the rest of the album to get an idea of what Q-Unique has been up to, and tune into to D-Stroy‘s radio show on Sirius-XM, Rap Is Outta Control.

“Q- Unique – On My Block (Feat. D Stroy)(Prod. By Rob Flow)”