Airy keys, fading in and out with volume control create a colorful time-lapsed image of fluffy and expressive sound, bursting into the brain like cloudy wisps of euphoria, courtesy of Klef Mikaydo’s expert production on his single Purple Clouds.
Echoing snares loosen the ears while the thundering bass looms in the back, keeping listeners on their toes for more. The song functions like a rising storm, ominously comforting, seemingly intrinsic to Mikaydo’s style and perhaps predictive of his impending rise in rap. The artist flexes vocal chops to pair with his production skills as a soothing R&B-style solo harmonizes into the mix. The lyrics (much like the title) deliberately inhabit a double meaning between weather (often symbolic of human emotion) and drug-use (which has a direct impact on how humans experience emotion).
The singer hails from L.A. (as does your humble writer) and comments, unconsciously or not, on the use of marijuana in the city, which has recently been legalized (I like it sunny, I ain’t f***ing with no snow). As an English admirer, I love the weather in L.A. reference and simultaneous symbolic of smoking weed with “sunny” as opposed to “snow” which references cocaine use along with undesirable weather conditions (at least prolonged snow). As an L.A. inhabitant and observer, “snow” produces far more addicts in people I’ve met (it’s a rather common substance abuse problem within the entertainment industry). In contrast, marijuana appears to have far more health benefits and the potential to increase state tax revenue as shown in California.
Forgive my digression, the chorus features lyrics from Day ‘N’ Nite, a stoner classic by Kid Cudi, another artist who has no issue proclaiming his weed smoking. The singer hits all the notes of the nostalgic turn a lonely stoner, likes to free my mind at night, until slowing down to add his own musical phrase and producing a magnificent image of blowing purple clouds. Mikaydo produces a banging yet charming original rap adjacent to a nostalgia-inducing ear-worm, making this the perfect song to smoke something purple to (or green I guess) and not drive anywhere. Just listen to this track and imagine you’re in L.A., where it’s regulated; like alcohol. It’s a great life.
Download the single via iTunes. Klef Mikaydo runs the indie label Elitestar Empire – find & follow him on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
