This is very unusual. There is a real artsy quality to much of this. It is hip hop, but I've never heard of anything quite like this before. This gets parental advisories on enough pieces that I'm just going to give you a blanket one. It have to say that I've used the "little to no capitalization" approach that the artist did on titles. I find it annoying, but this way it matches that actual release. Overall, this is not what you might expect when you think of hip hop. It's inventive and unusual.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2022 Volume 6. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2022.
Track by Track Review
mama’s hugs by c h i prod. By Dionso
The music on this has a real artsy vibe to it. The lines of vocal feel like they are stabbed into the surface of the soundscape. This whole thing has such an art music vibe. It is unusual, but also strangely effective.
choosin’ by c h i prod. by 8key
Here we get a more conventional hip hop vibe. This is an intriguing song. Even though it's more mainstream it still has some quirkiness to it. There is a Jamaican feel to some of the raps.
holla! by c h i prod. by Wavy Szn
Somewhat in between the previous two songs in terms of style, there is a real haunting angle to this cut. I think I like it better than either of those other two, but all of them are effective.
closer by c h i & Slyimo (feat. ¥Oung Jay) prod. by ¥Oung Jay
A mellower piece, this is also magical. It might be my favorite track here. There is a real artsy quality and some world music in the mix. This is effective and entertaining.
who better by c h i prod. By Drecyy and Dan Deurloo
There is a dreamy quality to this. It's more mainstream in a lot of ways. It turns toward more standard hip hop later in the number.
summer again by c h i & Slyimo prod. By Kass and Slyimo
This one loses me with the heavily over-processed vocals. The musical arrangement is more mainstream and works reasonably well. I just can't abide all that processing on the vocal tracks.
tom cruise by c h i prod. By Otyno
This has such a smooth groove. there are some strange, but still cool, computerized elements, but in a lot of ways this feels very organic.
worst ways by c h i prod. By butterwrld Both weird and mainstream, this is more full hip hop, although a bit understated and mellower.
let go by c h i produced by lou xtwo
This is a little over-processed, but nothing close to "summer again." The tune has some artsy grooves and a smooth flow. It works pretty well.
