I'll readily admit: I don't necessarily have my finger on the pulse of what's going in the rap world outside of the Northeast. Honestly, it's all a little blurry for me once you get past Pennsylvania. So to capture my attention from all the way out in South Carolina, it takes a special kind of artist. By somehow incorporating Jean-Claude Van Damme and the Ninja Turtles into one of the most brutal choruses in recent history, Just Rich Gates had me at "BAHHHHHHHH!" But for someone so at home over Lex Luger production, you may be surprised to learn just how well-versed Gates is in the sounds of New York. We discuss the differences between Merk City and The Big Apple, his work with A-Mafia & Waka Flocka Flame and the legacy of Freaky Tah.