This is, easily, my favorite project from the “blog era” (but, God, I hate that term).
In 2009 I had just relocated to New York from California, President Obama’s hair hadn’t gone full grey, and Kobe Bryant would have won his fourth NBA championship… which kickstarted an infamous “celebration” in Downtown LA that cleared out a sneaker consignment store.
Good times.
BeYoung, Mibbs and LIKE — then signed to Motown Records and collectively known as Pac Div (fka Pacific Division) — also released what many consider to be their best project, Church League Champions. Arriving during a time when Los Angeles-based hip hop was rediscovering itself following eras of uber-gangbanging, cholo-esque leaning, hyphy-induced locs shaking, and spastic jerking, Pac Div delivered an everyman soundtrack that resonates with many to this day.
Now, almost 12 years later, the mixtape has finally been released on the major streaming platforms. Anchored by the singles “Mayor,” “Pac Div,” and “Whiplash x Young Black Male,” Church League Champions was one of the defining projects of its time.
Stream the entire thing, below.
