San Francisco rapper and artist Malleous delivers a heavy rap anthem with a catchy hook and quirky, carefree verses; the likes of which lean towards the playful freedom of early Hip Hop. H.A.R.D is a fiercely confident collaboration with NippyBoy, and leads with bars and echoing production as attention-grabbing as its artwork.
Ultimately driven by this sense of being the best, the search for success and the relentless climb to the top, the chorus of H.A.R.D is naturally a motivational anthem of its own – a rhythmic outpouring devoted to the unrelenting ambition of both Malleous and NippyBoy. The verses, however, let things get a little more unorthodox and carefree, with vocal dynamic between sections, and a certain level of openminded personality; which effectively counters much of the Hip Hop scene to date.
Built around a classic soundscape of a recognisable synth riff, and rising and falling waves of distorted intensity, H.A.R.D is musically minimalist on the one hand, but hard-hitting on the other. Both the production and performances from Malleous and NippyBoy ignite a degree of self-belief and unyielding self-empowerment that’s likely to connect with a whole new audience of modern rap. It’s fun but focused, and speaks volumes on behalf of what we can expect from this creative corner of rap in the near future.
Download or stream H.A.R.D. Find Malleous on Instagram & X.
