Alex The Large: “Backwoods” Single Review

By Owen Tait

I’ll admit, despite all the time extra COVID has given me to discover new artists this year, I’ve found it difficult to reach out and explore unknown territory. Whether I’ve been trapped in the same playlist for days or being home in Illinois has given me reason to get nostalgic with my listening habits, I haven’t found much in the way of underground hip-hop (and I mean underground) that has stood out to me. But perhaps it was this same sense of nostalgia that sucked me into “Backwoods,” a recent single from Alex The Large, founder and member of the World Wide Native label and collective. Released in October of 2020, “Backwoods” laments about old memories, as well as both hope and confidence for the future —sentiments I believe young listeners can all get behind in this stage of our lives.

The track takes its time to get started, leading with soft, reverb-heavy guitars and sentimental lines that allude to old remedies and friends. Alex references “throwing stones up at your window,” followed by a repetition of the line “is there anybody home,” and we quickly get a sense that things aren’t how they used to be. Immediately after, his flow picks up, and the same emotion lingers as he weaves some pretty introspective lyrics around gentle percussion and a sea of strummed ambience. Relationships, expectations, and his current mental state are all subjects on the itinerary, but one line that stuck with me in particular was when Alex confessed “In your eyes I’m nothing, but I know what I’ma be one day,” a mindset that most artists, dreamers, and underdogs can relate to.

As the track progresses, Alex seems to grow more into his voice, finding more charismatic melodies and vocal inflections to build his verses upon, and the steady, subtle changes in the instrumental compliment these transitions extremely well. Alex also seems to grow into his skin in terms of attitude, tuning to the perspective that old relationships pale in comparison to the confidence a person can give themself; he doesn’t need validation from people in his past to know where he’ll end up, and he seems comforted by that. He finds his self-assurance in how far he’s come at this point in his journey, and as he does so, the peaceful instrumental fades into a voicemail, likely from a friend or mentor. “Stick to it… definitely daunting and scary, but keep breathing, keep moving,” the voice says. “You can do this.”

And having heard the song, I completely agree with the voice on the phone. Despite a few lines that could be considered cliché and a couple minor hiccups in his flow, Alex delivers a track that’s fit to be any introspective rapper/singer’s streaming debut. I enjoyed the gentle, relaxed tone of the record, and Alex’s bars come off as organic, almost like a stream of consciousness. It manages to feel both nostalgic and forward-thinking at the same time, and if you need a track to relax or reflect to, I’d highly recommend it. If you liked the track, be sure to keep up with future releases from World Wide Native, as I’ve heard they have big plans for 2021. 

Listen to “Backwoods” here:

Listen to Backwoods on Spotify. Alex The Large · Song · 2020.

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Mario Judah has Grown Impatient with Playboi Carti, and has Dropped his own 'Whole Lotta Red' Single

By Carter Fife

Tired of waiting for Playboi Carti, Mario Judah has just released ‘Bih Yah’, a self-proclaimed single to his own upcoming record Whole Lotta Red. After warning Carti and giving him a “grace period”, Judah dropped the track today after Carti failed to meet his demands. “Today is December 6th, and you have still not dropped Whole Lotta Red”, he said on Instagram. “I warned you…You have until 6pm today to drop Whole Lotta Red…. I will drop exactly one-minute later…if you do not drop [Whole Lotta Red] by 6pm.”

You may recognize Judah from his track ‘Die Very Rough’, which went viral following its release in September. Ubiquitous both as a meme and as an interesting character synthesizing elements of prog-rock, punk and hip-hop, Judah has been making waves the past week for his impassioned pleas directed towards Carti. A man of the people, Judah has expressed to Playboi Carti how he is letting his fans down by delaying the release of his long-awaited record. It seems, however, that Judah has had enough and is now entering his endgame. ‘Bih Yah’ marks the first of (potentially) several tracks made to emulate Carti, making up for his absence to the delight of fans of both artists.

The track itself is solid, though to what extent Judah intended ‘Bih Yah’ to be satire is still is yet to be seen. Judah emulates Carti’s high-pitched and abrupt vocal register well, and he flows well over an aggressive beat decorated with booming bass signals and oscillating synth beeps. Judah’s lyrics range towards being indecipherable, like many of Playboi Carti’s own tracks, but nevertheless his vocal performance is entertaining - meme or not.

Like many watching this feud unfold, I am excited to see how things escalate before the release of Whole Lotta Red. Will Judah help catalyze its release, or will be a force contributing to another delay? Many things still remain unknown. Though many of his tracks begin with “Who the fuck is Mario Judah”, it seems like it is not long until we all know his name.

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A$AP Twelvyy and Sam Silver cross unlikely paths on ‘New Beginnings’

By Carter Fife

2020 certainly seems to be A$AP Twelvyy’s year. Though it has only been a few months since the A$AB Mob member released Before Noon, Twelvyy’s first studio record since his 2017 debut 12, this week the Harlem icon returns with a collaboration with producer Sam Silver. While Before Noon was an exercise in Twelvyy doing what he does best, synthesizing intricate wordplay and melodic delivery over hard-hitting mixes - as seen on tracks like ‘Daytona’ and ‘Baby Driver’ featuring A$AP Ant - this week fans are treated to an innovative and subversive track from one of A$AP Mob’s lesser-known members.

‘New Beginnings’ is a rare moment of introspection from Twelvyy. On this track he delivers lines like “Had to make it happen, took the whole day. Tryna make it home, I took the wrong way“ over Sam Silver’s lurching electronic bass patterns and ethereal and ambient melodies. This style of music is not what you may think of when you think about A$AP Mob, but A$AP Twelvyy does a phenomenal job of lending his efforts to Silver’s production in order to create a chill yet energizing track.  If you’re unfamiliar with producer Sam Silver, he’s a 17-year old powerhouse that has spent the past few months pushing out releases after his 2017 project DIRECTORS CHOICE. Some of his tracks have reached six-figure streaming numbers on Spotify, and it’s not hard to see why. After a brief verse where A$AP Twelvyy dwells on fame, luxury, and personal growth, the vocals contort and speed up as the track transforms into a thundering house instrumental contrasted with aggressive kick drums. ‘New Beginnings’ is just that for both Twelvyy and Silver. It is an embrace of change and success, working past prior personal frustrations in favor of a life of glamour, art, and paparazzi. It is hard to deny the talent of either Twelvyy or Silver, and given both of the artists’ demonstrated versatility on this track, weaving together hip-hop and electronic music styles, it may be fair to say this will not be their last collaboration.

You can stream the track on Spotify and Soundcloud now using the link below. Hopefully, this means we’re poised to get more music from the two artists soon, but if not, ‘New Beginnings’ will surely hold fans over until then.

Listen to New Beginnings on Spotify. Sam Silver · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

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Keem Ain’t Done: “Hooligan / Sons & Critics Freestyle” Single Review

By Owen Tait

Upon realizing Keem was going to be absent in the 2020 XXL Cypher performances, I was pretty disappointed. After all, Die For My Bitch stood out to me as one of the most unique, left-field trap albums of 2019, and I was anxious to hear more from Keem as a growing artist. Well, we may not have gotten a cypher verse, but the two singles we received in return were more than enough to demonstrate Keem’s staying power in the industry. Released under Sony Music Records, “hooligan” and “sons & critics freestyle” both feature everything one could want from a standout Baby Keem track. Catchy hooks, bouncy beats, memorable quotables, and a long list of amusing ad-libs can all be found in these singles, all in a matter of six minutes and change of runtime.

“Hooligan,” a sleek banger led by dramatic keys and a whistle sample that gave me stank face, sees Baby Keem boasting his status as an up-and-coming star in the industry. From a production standpoint, it’s nothing unusual for a nocturnal trap song; however, Keem’s delivery on this track unlocks a potential that I believe few other artists could unlock over a beat like this. He flows effortlessly across the verses, finding time to add charismatic ad-libs in between hilarious lines such as “dripped in all black like an emo bitch” and the already-infamous “I ain’t done / Bitch, go to your room.” To top it all off, Keem delivers a refrain so ridiculous that only he could pull it off, with the triumphant “Fa fa fa, fa fa fa” he sings in between each bar growing so infectious that you just have to sing along.

The following track, “sons & critics freestyle,” is one that I unfortunately think will be overshadowed by its predecessor. It’s a much stranger experience, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get stuck in your head just as easily. The hook on this single is truly different, as Keem combines an almost unnatural flow with a repeated ad-lib he delicately sprinkles over the beat (which is also strange as hell). The 808 pattern ramps up over and over throughout the track, ducking out in the first half of every measure to let the instrumental breathe. As one would imagine, this creates a really bouncy rhythm for Keem to weave his punchlines over, which he succeeds at yet again. And while I would argue that Keem’s lyrics here are not on par with the rest of his discography—if this really is a freestyle, you can tell—his charisma still carries him leagues ahead of his competitors. 

As I said, these singles have nearly everything a person could ask for in a Baby Keem track, and even better, the replay value on them is through the roof. I’ve likely listened to “hooligan” well over 30 times as of writing this review, and rather than growing sick of it, I’ve only found myself wanting more. If these singles are truly our first look into his next project, then Baby Keem’s sophomore studio album can’t arrive soon enough.

Listen to “Hooligan / Sons & Critics Freestyle” here:

Listen to hooligan / sons & critics on Spotify. Baby Keem · Single · 2020 · 2 songs.

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645AR and FKA Twigs' “Sum Bout U” Track Review

By Kaila Cherry

Have you ever wondered what Elmo from Sesame Street would sound like if he became a Soundcloud rapper? That is how the internet has described Southern rapper 645AR. 645AR took Twitter by storm in January with his track “4 Da Trap.” Speaking of his experience selling drugs and gangbanging with a cartoonishly high autotuned voice akin to T-Pain on uppers, 645AR quickly became the subject of jokes and memes by many while simultaneously gaining a dedicated cult fanbase (the homies and I included). On Tuesday, 645AR put out a new track that once again became the talk of the internet. Not only due to the oddity of the rapper’s vocal style, but because of who was featured on the track with him. Experimental high profile singer FKA Twigs joined forces with 645AR on arguably the best love song of 2020 so far: “Sum Bout U.”

Released with a music video involving 645AR, who, after meeting Twigs on a cam girl website, falls into a rabbit hole of upgrades to get closer to her, “Sum Bout U” is a novelty like no other. 645AR and Twigs switch off in the chorus and verses, their voices so high pitched it can be hard to distinguish between the two. The interplay between the artists both vocally and lyrically adds to the overall sweetness of the tracks. They echo their affection for each other, express gratitude for each other’s presence in their lives, and state their intentions to grow as people together. Many were shocked to see FKA twigs, a beloved and established musical artist known for her ethereal image to collaborate with 645AR, who is largely taken as a joke by rap fans. Despite sounding like Playboi Carti’s baby voice gone Super Saiyan, 645AR’s vocal style is not a bit. And with tracks like “Sum Bout U,” he utilizes his style in the best way possible. Topped off with the dreamy 2000s style R&B production from SenseiATL & El Guincho, “Sum Bout U” is the perfect track to dedicate to the love of your life. It’s also a great song to walk down the aisle to on your wedding day. The lyrics even make tear-jerking vows. Name a track with more range. It’s impossible.

Listen to “Sum Bout U” here:

Listen to Sum Bout U (feat. FKA twigs) on Spotify. 645AR · Single · 2020 · 1 songs.

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UMI "Open Up" Single Review

UMI is a bright and exciting up and coming talent. Specializing in the modernization of R&B, UMI has released two EPs so far, Interlude (2018) and Love Language (2019). The Seattle born-California based artist keeps up her momentum with plans to release her third EP Introspection on June 21st of this year. She dropped the first song, the title track, in early May. A few weeks later, UMI dropped the second track entitled “Open Up.” Accompanied by an angelic yet sullen visualizer, UMI artfully expresses the genuine pain and strife that comes with self growth on her new song. In particular, UMI laments on having to let go of a partner she cared deeply about because she saw the importance of working on herself in order to fully love others.

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“Open Up” begins with a simple rhythmic acoustic guitar melody. The bass drum comes in followed by UMI’s voice. She establishes her vulnerability early into the track by singing the first few lyrics modestly on her own. It is not until the verse moves in the direction of the pre chorus that UMI employs vocal flourishes, harmonies, and ad libs. As the vocal production builds on itself, so does the instrumental. In the same progression, what started as guitar and bass drum becomes layered with hi hats, electronic piano, and synthesizers. On “Open Up,” UMI utilizes the layering of her soundscape wisely. Effects move in and out, more pronounced in the chorus and bridges than in the verses and pre chorus. In this way, UMI uses the production of the song itself to emphasize the trouble she has with “opening up” to others.

On the meaning of the track, UMI said in an interview with Rated R&B that “Open Up” is about “‘...that feeling before a breakup when you’re torn between the guilt of hurting someone else and doing what’s best for you. Capturing my inner dialogue, this song is a moment of introspection.” The intensity of this inner dialogue is expressed in the lyrical content of the track. In the first verse, UMI admits to feeling as if she is not being her true self with her lover. She is afraid of the person she actually is. UMI comes to the realization that she can never be there for her partner if she is not there for herself. In the chorus, UMI expresses the desire to feel and give love but knows that her negative feelings about herself have made her unable to do so. However, UMI takes this loss in stride. In the outro, the singer repeats the lyric “I really wanna open up for you.” She does not intend to be closed off forever. UMI aspires to work on herself in order to better love those around her. “Open Up” is a beautiful reminder to acknowledge your mistakes, recommit to intentions of bettering yourself, and to work on being there for the ones we love.

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