In Memoriam: Stepa J. Groggs
By Erin Christie
(PC: Matilda Hill-Jenkins for Loud and Quiet)
“Glad to see a new day ‘cos not everyone does
Tell my daughter I love her, shoot a text to my bruhs”
- Stepa J. Groggs, “Gravy N Biscuits” (2019)
The first time I heard about Arizona-based hip-hop trio Injury Reserve was when a boy I was talking to during the fall of my freshman year put their track, “See You Sweat” (a track from their 2017 EP, Drive It Like It’s Stolen), on a playlist he made me. Yeah, maybe that was a questionable decision on his part (considering the blatantly suggestive context of the track) but I’m ultimately glad he went for it because he ultimately introduced me to one of the greatest groups I’ve had the honor to listen to.
More recently, Injury Reserve was meant to take the stage at a spring concert my college radio station was set to host this March—it was to be an extremely “full-circle” sort of moment, considering how the trio had soundtracked much of my college experience after that initial playlist got me hooked. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, that show never got to take place. That reality hurt when I initially found out, but with the news of emcee Stepa J. Groggs’ passing considered, it’s even more devastating. I’m just devastated in general.
I listened to “North Pole” (another track from their 2017 EP) on repeat last night after I heard the news, until my feeling of numbness eventually faded into tears. Groggs’ verse opens the track, concluding with the line, “I can’t be the only one who’s feeling lost, right?,” accompanied by a beautiful feature from Slow Hollows’ Austin Anderson. Each time it repeated, my heart felt like it was going to burst. It’s no secret that Injury Reserve as a collective has a knack for creating banger after banger, but their deeper cuts, their more emotional confessionals, hit Hard; this is no exception.
Just last year, Injury Reserve released the follow-up to this EP and their debut studio album, a self-titled record chock full of excellent tracks and features from stellar artists such as Amine, Rico Nasty, JPEGMAFIA, Cakes Da Killa, Dylan Brady (of 100 Gecs), and others. But as their previous EPs and mixes reveal, they’d been constantly raising the bar since their debut on the scene in 2013. As Groggs even expressed on the record’s opening track, “Koruna & Lime,” “Love to fans that say we don’t get enough shine / I mean, well, shit… they isn’t lying.” A quip such as this is truly justified, noting Injury Reserve’s amazingly diverse, truly eclectic, and resonant discography—I even said so in my review of Injury Reserve when it came out: Groggs, co-emcee Ritchie with a T, and producer Parker Corey had been releasing other-level content for YEARS, so, why had it taken so long for them to get the hype they deserved all along?
It’s horrible that just when they began getting well-deserved recognition with the release of this record, a tragedy had to strike. I think that’s what makes this loss hurt even moreso. It pains me to think of a hypothetical reality where Groggs, where Injury Reserve, might also become another example of the Van Gogh Effect, where artists are appreciated more when they’re gone. It’s just so wrong to me. It fucking hurts.
On further discussing Injury Reserve’s unparalleled excellence and Groggs’ personal greatness, though, I want to talk about my favorite mix of their’s for a second. 2016’s Floss is a truly flawless album, and it’s been a record that I’ve been able to return to time and time again. Each time I listen, I’m reintroduced to the utter joy and euphoria that their music brings me.
Aside from explosive inclusions such as “Eeny Meeny Miny Moe” and “Girl With the Gold Wrist,” this record is utterly poignant, creating a relevant timestamp of the year in which it was written in regard to documenting the lives of the trio themselves, but also in the vein of discussing the social climate of the time. On “2016 Interlude,” for example, Ritchie asks about the disproportionate number of Black and Brown folks in prison in relation to weed, and his words still retain their relevance. That’s the thing—not only is Injury Reserve constantly testing convention with their truly awe-inspiring instrumentals, but they’re also pushing boundaries with their lyrical content.
In the same vein, Groggs’ verses on another track, “I Keep on Slippin’” (ft. Vic Mensa), were meaningful before, but now, they’re all the more hard-hitting. It’s a heartbreaking track in general, vulnerably discussing some darker aspects of each of the musicians’ lives—from dealing with substance abuse, to depression and other mental health difficulties, to coping with newfound fatherhood. I think that’s what really gets me about Groggs’ passing, too: the fact that he’s a father of four. “Trying to be a healthier man for my mini me,” he says on track “Look Mama I Did It,” and now, that sentiment feels like a jab in the chest. You can donate to a GoFundMe to support Groggs’ family below.
Speaking of “Look Mama I Did It,” said track brings Floss to a close. It crashes in with immediate upbeat energy and gospel-esque vocal swells, but, in general, its material is HEAVY. It’s mournful, touching on Ritchie’s relationship with his father and on the group’s collective feelings on their ability to overcome and on their general growth. In his verse, Groggs says,
“Thanks to every fan who's shared our shit or bought some merch
Never thought I'd see my face on someone's shirt
Y'all the reason Imma go hard until it hurts
Took you to the Dentist Office, now we took you to church.”
This was written in 2016. Despite any odds stacked against them, against Groggs specifically, Injury Reserve has left an undeniable mark on not only their fans, but on the holistic musical landscape. They’ve done something truly beautiful throughout the years, and it’s painful to know that Groggs won’t be able to continue to watch their efforts impact audiences.
I’ll be thinking of Groggs, his impact on me, his impact on his fans, and his impact on those who love him now and always. My heart goes out to Ritchie and Corey, too, as they’ve just lost not only an incomparable collaborator but, mainly, a dear friend.
I encourage you to listen to Injury Reserve and think of Groggs, especially if you haven’t before now—first, check out their latest single, “Robert” (ft. Jockstrap).