Five key tracks by Old English

Up-and-coming rap duo honors National City, takes on haters, lets out inner demons

Old English's Nothin'less (left) and Saviorself
- Photo by Gavin Filipiak

Since their start in 2007, Old English have steadily gained the respect of San Diego’s top rap veterans, including Black Mikey, Blame One and Gonjasufi. For those unfamiliar with the National City rap duo (MCs Saviorself and Nothin’less), here’s a look at five key tracks:

“Under Surveillance”: A paranoid track with sweeping lasers, grainy horn hits and chopped-’n’-screwed vocal samples. “Not like we’re making major moves, but people that are, they’re under surveillance at all times. It’s a 24-hour experience,” Saviorself explains.

“Living Off Experience”: A portrait of National City as modern-day Wild West with twanging guitar plucks and distorted, kazoo-through-talk-box synths. “The beat was given to me by Gaslamp Killer. He didn’t produce it, but he got it from a couple of his homies off Stones Throw Records,” Nothin’less says.

“The Dedication”: A “100-percent National City” track with honest, emotional rhymes over delicate, ’70s-era Stax soul. “The first half is dedicated to my chick, and the second half is dedicated to all the homies in National City, in the struggle,” Saviorself says.

“Take Flight”: Relentless, cocky rhymes aimed at haters young and old. “We had a lot of naysayers that eventually became fools that wanted to work with us. I was like, ‘You’re the fool who was talking shit earlier. Now you’re trying to jump on the dick.’ That shit don’t ride where I’m from,” says Nothin’less.

“+ vs. -”: A mission statement with brooding bass and a slow, steady beat. “After I recorded this verse, I felt like I released demons out of my system,” Saviorself says. “I felt drained, relieved, like I got all this shit off my back.”

Old English will perform at The Great American Showcase at El Dorado on Sunday, Sept. 4.