PLUGGED IN: February 2022
Your monthly dose of essential rap music listening (does NOT include the rest of the essential records of the month covered through other written content, podcast reviews and interviews, or Patreon-only content).
Lord Kayso - MOOR CHORES
Lord Kayso is one of many dope artists I have been introduced to through following New York’s prolific PTP collective (check my interview with GENG PTP here). As expected with PTP’s track record, Kayso is another artist that is difficult to box-in, bringing a new flavour to the rap game.
As soon as I heard MOOR CHORES, Kayso won me over immediately. What first caught me was his personality. Although he certainly has a knack for storytelling, painting pictures with few words, the charming charisma is what makes these songs resonate with me.
The production, mainly handled by Hajino and Chris Decastro, on MOOR CHORES is intriguing, because it presents a uniquely left-field spin on a bouncy airy brand of boom bap. There are also sometimes elements of glitch like on “Uncle Mark”, or some reggae vibes on “Baba Roots”. That being said, there are also many elements in the production and the songwriting that smooth out the listening experience, which made this album pretty damn catchy.
Kayso possesses a strong handle of how to find the right pocket in certain beats, and organizes his raps in a way that makes his bars memorable. Along with these sticky flows of his, the interpolation of Biggie’s “Sky’s the Limit” hook on “Opulence” was definitely the most melodically enjoyable moment on MOOR CHORES, since that hook has always been an all-time favourite for me.
MOOR CHORES is the total package. It gives you glimpses of honest introspection, charming lyrical displays, and production that will more than keep your attention.
RMPP Preferred Cut: “Digital (meta_verses)”
Stream/Buy on Bandcamp
WiFiGawd - CHAIN OF COMMAND
Some of the brightest names in the creative garden of underground hip-hop have been spotlighted on this platform many times. Up until this point, a name that hasn’t been given any shine is WiFiGawd. That will be changing now.
Unlike most of the artists that I have been tapped into, a lane in the underground that I’m still trying to find my footing in is this emerging movement of gritty and innovative takes on trap music from the likes of Tripp Jones, WiFiGawd, and producer Tony Seltzer… just to name a few.
What’s interesting about WiFi’s music is that on a surface-level listen, his sound isn’t incredibly far-removed from the trap rap you may be familiar with from the mainstream. However, upon closer inspection, there are slight tweaks and innovations in how he glides over an instrumental, and the beats he selects that consistently peaks my left-field sensibilities.
WiFi has a remarkably versatile rapping style that simply does not allow his music to be easily categorized. At certain moments on CHAIN OF COMMAND, WiFi directs songs into a heavily spaced-out melodic direction, such as on “ Slide Thru” and “At da Spot”. During other moments, WiFi is a bit more aggressive in his vocal delivery, creating tracks that hit a bit harder. All in all though, WiFi’s effortlessly cool approach to rapping allows for a uniform sense of relaxation to permeate the entire record. Additionally, although his raps aren’t overly technical by any stretch, WiFi possesses a strong ability to cultivate a vibe and paint a picture of a lifestyle and environment that leaves a strong impression on the listener.
His seasoned collaborative chemistry with the electric Tony Seltzer injects some very welcomed moments of musical brilliance on tracks like “Flying Lotus”, which showcases Seltzer’s sound of remarkably colourful bangers off so well. Outside of Seltzer’s production, there is production from WiFi and Amal that balance booming bass and atmospheric tones very nicely.
Chain of Command is one of those few albums that could play just as nicely in a party setting, as it could alone while you do some cleaning around the house on a bright Sunday afternoon.
RMPP Preferred Cut: “God of War”
Stream/Buy on Bandcamp and check out a great piece on WifiGawd from Bandcamp Daily here.
2 Dolla Will - Red Snow 6 (co-starring Mike G, yung REGIS & jdmasters)
After 2 Dolla Will’s Red Snow 5, his output has grown and become further refined with each passing tape (he released a career’s worth of work in 2021 alone). Therefore, the growth displayed between Red Snow 5 and its follow-up Red Snow 6 is clear as day.
Although his subject matter hasn’t really changed, his delivery has grown more confident and his bars have sharpened in their wit. Will’s raps are also further bolstered by other voices in typical Red Snow fashion, since this album is heavy on posse cuts and features. All of the features do their thing, but especially Mike G. He really shined on every single appearance he had on this album.
From a production-standpoint, Will’s music has continued in a direction that we first saw on Elaine Benes (check out a piece on that album here). The beats are less sample-based, and utilize a cleaner programmed drum approach that works well, with some subtle lead melodies as well. Most of these beats in this vein are provided by the steady hand of jdmasters. However, the beats provided by other producers (most notably Iceberg Theory) are used sparingly, but add some nice changes of pace musically. One of my absolute favourite beats in this style was the vibrant sampling on “Lonely Town” that Iceberg Theory absolutely laced.
The true shining moment for me on Red Snow 6 was “Berkely Pit”. This is easily one Will’s best tracks, featuring an immaculately soulful beat from jdmasters that heavily utilizes a beautiful gospel sample. Will’s raps over this type of production is an intriguing mix that makes his otherwise funny bars feel grandiose. I’d love to hear a full project of this!
Red Snow 6 is another entertaining addition to Will’s vast catalogue of quality output.
RMPP Preferred Cut: “Berkely Pit”
Stream/Buy on Bandcamp
Check out the 2 Dolla Will interview here.
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