Man, I can’t lie. My first thoughts on this track were how this reminded me of some ‘Gang Starr’ type shit. That beat reminded me of a prime Preemo instrumental, and the lyricism made me think of Guru and how he’d structure verses. I gotta say that’s one solid first impression! With that in mind, let’s get into it!
This is the brand new single by MC MAURICE and Producer Koba Dera, and together they are responsible for this one-of-a-kind track that I feel is exactly the lane the underground should be taking to close off the year and begin fresh the new one!
Across this tape, we have an instrumental that is as smooth as it is atmospheric! It has this beautifully methodical pacing to it that feels reminiscent of two different eras: ‘the early 2010s poetry rap era’ -Illogic/Milo etc. and the golden 90’s -Gang Starr/Nas etc.
It’s in between these two genres of rap that I place this instrumental that has so many great qualities that will undoubtedly make this a memorable track for months to come!
Firstly, we have those delicate piano keys that loop around the track in a gorgeous layout! Those keys kind of remind me of late-career Herbie Hancock style execution, soothing and refreshing! On top of all that, we have some subtle yet hard-hitting bass as well as light some strings in the background that help bring this song all together!
Koba is someone I’ve had my eye on for a while, and with every new offering we get of him, he’s somehow stronger and better, on one of the most impressive improvement rates I’ve seen in the underground!
Accompanying him, we have MAURICE (formerly known as Moe Hendrix) who utilises this fantastic beat to his advantage to create verses that not only sound and feel sharp and incredible but actually touch your heart with his level of vivid detail and in-depth storytelling.
He has such a relaxed, introspective performance that I fell in love with immediately. The moment he starts spitting, he’s already letting out personal facts such as the line – ‘since the pissy mattresses and high school foolery/got a taste for alcohol, white lines soothing me/used all my life lines/pride is a stupid thing to have.’
This is the first few fucking bars he put on the beat! That should tell you everything about the lyricist in front of you. He’s a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and lets all his thoughts and feelings on the mic, utilising his vulnerability to his advantage to create polarising moments with his words!
His smooth and gentle manner combined with his impressive vocabulary makes for an unmatched skillset that only he possesses. He doesn’t waste a single second across that beat, putting everything on paper and revelling himself for the audience’s satisfaction!
You can tell he’s the kind of MC that utilises the art of ‘patience’, letting his words and bars breathe. Smartly crafted verses rather than throwing words together for ‘song sake’ but actually invoke meaning and spirit within his rhythm and lyrical structure, and that’s exactly why I compare him to Guru!
He has the same knowledge meets hip hop appeal to him that I can’t get enough of! Pair that with an instrumental of this caliber, and you have a recipe for success!
One of the strongest singles I’ve heard all year! If this is a sign of things to come, I can’t imagine how good the album will be!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 