Fire Starter: Reek Da Villian

The Big Apple is bubbling again, with Lloyd Banks leading the way, spitting that gritty New York type of rhyme. The Queens star is holding down his borough, but he has plenty of company heating up the rest of the NYC streets, from a reinvigorated Saigon (what up, Rich Nice?) to Vado to upstart Fred the Godson.

Busta Rhymes' latest protégé, Reek Da Villian, is making a lot of noise coming out of Long Island, a spot we haven't had a heat-tossing MC from in a while.

The Strong Island representative has been burning it up with his spastic "Mechanic," featuring Bus-a-Bus and Swizz Beatz. Reek has managed to keep company with some big names, recruiting DJ Khaled, Cam'ron, Method Man, Vado and Nelly for the remix.

"I'm just blessed, because being a new person in the game, I'm rapping with guys that are already solidified and stars," Reek told Mixtape Daily. "And the way they greet me and treat me, as if I'm a regular. I'm going around being around thugs on the block, and now it's a bunch of guys that are millionaires and superstars that are becoming a part of my day-to-day."

He's following in the footsteps of some heavyweights from Long Island, including De La Soul, Rakim, Public Enemy and Keith Murray.

"Back when I was growing up, it was beautiful, 'cause you could be in your town and see someone like a Busta Rhymes or Rakim come through. Now it's like a deserted land. We haven't had an artist in the game since Keith Murray. It's not pressure, but I got a lot of weight on my shoulders."

Reek is hoping to ease that pressure with his future selections, from a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama, a project with Mick Boogie and the upstart's plans to remake Nas' Illmatic.

"We really just trying to heat up the momentum and build up the steam," Reek said. "So when my big homie gets ready to head into these offices, he can throw some weight around."

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