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"Shaolin Spin" (feat. Cystic), Ang'Geon Emetrea
Flow is the art of building & releasing tension. Ang'Geon & Cystic conduct an exhilarating master class on "Shaolin Spin." Ang'Geon's singsong lisp is nimble over slinky synths & pulsing 808s as he recalls the tension of growing up gifted - he's "been expected to blow since the land lines" while "dancin' with devils in sunlight." Cystic's gruff cadence "cuts through like an interlude" as he expounds on the resilience earned from a lifetime of health issues: "What you know about real struggle when this life hits you with the belt buckle?" - first the sugar, then the medicine.
"Chess Pieces", Patty Honcho
"Skip the Kid hit me and I was ready to work" - Patty Honcho's booming charisma dominates this dense banger. "Chess Pieces" sounds like a city: Patty's raw raps rattle like elevated train tracks. "We in Jersey where we box for the scrappers / bus rides to the city for the mass, I'm Dr. Manhattan" - straight scorched-earth from this chopped-cheese lover. Skip the Kid's beat is a chunky head-nodder: sleazy guitars & clanging keys collide with aplomb. Hectic, like riding to the weed spot with a stranger.
"The Sun", Asa Aziz
"I get the ball rollin' tryin' to ball out in France.” A breath of fresh air, "The Sun" finds Asa Aziz ruminating over bubbling keys & samba rimshots. Asa's flow is loose & assertive, casually navigating the track’s tricky rhythms. He explores the process of finding his voice and asks the question at the core of every artist’s soul: “what can I do that hasn't already been done?" The orchestral hook is bright and bittersweet: shimmering strings that echo Asa’s inquisitive bars. Magic like a summer night.