Toronto artist and rapper Huncho Prime delivers an essential twist of intention and heart into the contemporary rap scene, with the superb new album Evil Eye.
Kicking into gear with the infectious and haunting Levels, the project immediately showcases a rapper at the top of his game – sharp and smart bars pour through amidst a piano-led ambiance and hard-hitting trap rhythm.
Notably inspired by the likes of Lil Baby and Kendrick Lamar in equal parts, the sound has character and energy, the bars hit with fluidity and the intelligent framing of ideas, captivating from the outset and refusing to lower the bar throughout.
Thirteen original tracks make up the 2022 album and underline the absolute best of an artist born to write and perform in this way.
Connecting for absolute humanity as much so as a strong ear for melody and beats that get the heart pounding, tracks like the high-octane and clever Slime Intentions, and the heartfelt and wholesome Change, maintain an edge of versatility whilst holding close to the crucial traits of identity that are the Huncho Prime sound.
This album celebrates cultural eclecticism, a vastness of appreciation for music in its many forms, and approaches any topic with fearless vulnerability and confidence united.
From What’s Love through Finer Things and On Time, we see the clear breadth of style, the mellow and the heavy, the switches in flow as impressive as Huncho’s innate ability to delve into his story in a fresh and inspiring manner.
Then there’s the sudden organic darkness and intensity of Pressure, a uniquely genre-blending anthem, within which Huncho and a featured Jackiee showcase the best of their abilities as rappers devoted to the cause. Relentless bars hit consistently throughout, and the music offers an unmistakable sense of personality alongside this; marking one of the project’s most striking tracks yet.
And in stark contrast, from determination to story-telling of detail and struggle, PTSD rocks the boat in an entirely different way.
Loaded with anthems and deeply moving, self-defining moments that urge listeners to tune in more closely, and to repeat play the entire set, Evil Eye makes for one of the most relevant yet refreshingly authentic, purposeful albums this side of the summer.
Huncho’s openness as a writer, his eclecticism as a creative, and his sheer focus on elevating the rap game and his community in the process, all shines new light on what’s possible for the future of hip hop.
Work ethic, passion and skill unite for the perfect chemistry, and with a plethora of new singles and an EP set for release in the coming months, Huncho has the formula just right.
Check out Huncho Prime on Twitter, Instagram & his Website.
