Charlie De’ Medici’s debut project is a homage to the old-school. Replete with beats from hip-hop’s so called ‘golden age’ and delivery that’s reminiscent of the lyrical and flow driven artists of the 90s, he’s turned back the clock to tune his own devices. With a distinctive accentuation and a keen focus to lyrics and flow, Medici’s swagger helps steer this project into a specially carved niche of his own in hip-hop. Age old boom bap influence is perhaps the most obviously discernible throughout this record. As someone who claims equal influence and adoration from both Skepta & Shakespeare, poetry stands as poetry to Medici. Notably, he claims particular projects like ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and ‘1999’ as particular records that stood out to him and influenced his current work.
Medici’s goal with this project was to take an older style of hip-hop to a new age audience. Breaking the barriers of time, he uses his own unique accentuation and delivery alongside his lyrical dexterity to craft an appeal for the old in the new. The album’s twelve songs are the result of a near ten year long journey for Charlie. The imaginative and skilful rapper remembers “buying a $20 headset and ripping instrumentals from old Pharrell beats on YouTube” after finishing high school all the way back 2012. Technically, few rappers can match the levels that Charlie comes with.
It’s an introduction from Medici to the world of hip-hop, and one that he has a ton of fun in. While this first project is a bit more, stripped back, and lo-fi, it’s far from the only box that Charlie wants to restrict himself to. He’s keen to take his talents to another stage, exploring more lustrous and ‘expensive’ production styles while utilising features to elevate his sound to a new level.
All in all, a piece of old school hip-hop that aficionados of the golden age will not want to miss.