On his first full length LP, St Louis based hip-hop connoisseur Richard has compiled 8 pieces of predominantly rap music that also incorporates an intriguing interpolation of EDM. Bringing together a blend of flow driven melancholic classic hip-hop with bits of commercial dance music, his eclecticism is beyond doubt. On one track, you’re hearing Richard come through with rhymes and flows rivalling some of the top artists in modern hip-hop. On the next, it feels like you’re in a club, relishing an EDM dance anthem that’s bound to leave you mesmerised and tranced.
The first piece, ‘Shopping Cart’, leaves you expecting a particular style through the album. ‘Aint it funny how they look down’ raps Richar, continually intonating and flowing with a sequence of unique rhymes and bars that leave you progressively more impressed with each subsequent delivery. But, right on the next track, Richard entirely takes the vibe to another planet altogether. ‘Crazee’ is a pure commercial EDM banger of a tune. A pulsating beat, scintillating synths, and a melodic vocal performance synthesized into a single dance inducing track that still retains melancholic undertones.
The back and forth between the heavy hip-hop dominance to the more easily palatable EDM is a constant theme through Diary. ‘Dark Shadows’ incorporates a wholly unique and instantly memorable flow with a dark and ominous beat. The tune’s outro. ‘Dark Shadows, they haunt me’, shifts the song’s vibe without warning into a harmonious and haunting heavily layered final minute. It’s within these constant mood shifts and production change ups that Richard has found a niche that’s yet to be thoroughly explored. The rapper notes, “With this album, I share my pain and frustration with the rest of the world with the hope that someone will digest and respect the struggle it has been throughout life. However, asthe album does have a sad overtone I want to recognize the celebration it is as well.“
There are singles to be lifted to almost any playlist within this project. But, despite it’s variation, there’s a cohesiveness to be had that makes the album’s listening experience well worth a full playthrough. The penultimate track ‘It’s Cool’, is my personal highlight. The more languid piece is a welcome mellow point that gives the listener a perfect ‘chill out’ experience. For fans of hip-hop and EDM alike, this is a project you wouldn’t want to miss.
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