Stephon Foster’s return this month brings back that clearly unmistakable sound – those gentle yet fast-paced vocals, that tone. It’s an easily memorable approach to performance, though in this case – Snake is notably more impressive and clear-cut in terms of how naturally the track flows and how much more distinctive the lines are.
Foster’s near off-rhythm delivery blurs the lines between rap and melody in some ways, though that RnB core remains throughout – the quickness and the sheer density of the lyrics represents something more classically hip hop than anything else; all of which plays a part in helping the artist build a unique and recognisable style.
Snake is a rightfully scathing song that addresses the need to let go and move away from anyone who deliberately disrespects you or breaks your trust. Bonds take time to build, so those who knowingly bend or break them don’t deserve the time of day – a difficult but often necessary truth, and something the song Snake takes to the limit. The verses detail the betrayal and the feelings associated with that, then the hook resorts to the easy repetition of that line and that title – reinforcing the outcome, the realization, and refusing to allow those in question to escape it.
In the meantime, as this conceptual performance rains down, the beat plays out like a simple, fairly mellow loop – contrasting cleverly with the high energy delivery of the vocal. Having said that, the vocal is actually as calmly presented as ever, it’s just the speed and the level of lyricism – this feels like an outpouring, a venting; getting things out in the open, off the chest, so as to feel better and move forward.
This song is defiantly a step in a more intentional direction – the clarity and the movement of the vocals fit the beat well and make certain to lay out the track’s purpose. Snake is actually from an upcoming album, a collection that will likely see Stephon Foster run with creativity all the more-so.
