Loner Lewis’ release this month brings a refreshingly impressive soundscape and rap flow that work in unison to entrance and entertain audiences. Certain aspects of mainstream Hip Hop may have taken something of a nose-dive in recent years as mumble-rap roams centre stage and re-directs the attention to the energy and volume of the recording alone. Fortunately, Loner Lewis is of the opposite inclination – his music has heart, wordplay, scene-setting, skill, as well as that essential energy. And this is only the beginning.
For The Love has an insanely good beat to it, the backdrop is consistently minimalist but fresh in its synth choices and samples – in this sort of tribal edge that the drum-line and those supporting elements offer up. On top of this, the leading artist’s voice has a confident and smooth tone that delivers the sentiments of the song in a mighty way. And even higher up than that is the lyricism.
The first verse showcases an outpouring of ideas and clever wordplay – imagery and poetry, personal reflection, detail and grit, style and character. Later on, the hook introduces the rhythmically addictive repetition of that central idea, making certain it gets caught in your consciousness as quickly as possible. It’s not intrusive though, not at all – it’s inspiring, feeling a little like a classic Kanye hook from back in the day.
After this, other sections showcase a clever use of stop-and-start production, as well as a few moments in which Lewis really, fully enthralls with his performance. The whole thing just works, it’s flawlessly skillful and impressive and feels like the return of authentic hip hop with depth.
Complete with a visually crisp and impressive accompanying video, For The Love comes through with every bit of skill and professionalism required to let that underlying talent and confidence shine brightly.
I swear this lifestyle fit me like a glove – cause I don’t do it for the likes, I do it for the love.
Find & follow Loner Lewis on Facebook & Instagram.
