When you’re on the lookout for hip hop that does things a little differently, it can be difficult to find – particularly among today’s ever-expanding world of music. The genre has exploded in recent years, which is great for the musical content but admittedly makes it harder to find those tracks or artists that do push the boundaries a little or pave their own way. Enter Slim Reaper, with a single that quite literally pushes those boundaries and introduces his approach to expression and artistry in a bold way.
Pusher is a track with a unique musicality in itself, this retro soundscape emerges – nostalgic synths and tones make up the outer edges of the experience. Then you get Slim’s leading voice, an accessible timbre and a relatable style offer further nostalgia in some ways, though his ideas undoubtedly deal with a more modern view of the world. Where many of the lines have a calming aura to them, many others burst through with intensity and angst. Slim’s passion throughout weaves around you in varied degrees, reacting accordingly to the lyrics and the current point within the story.
It takes a couple of listens to gather a full view of this single and what it’s about, but from a simple musical perspective – the sound is incredibly appealing. Slim’s performance is easy to like – confident, characterful, partly poetic and partly hardcore. The production is crisp and colourful in a totally new way – some fragments of vintage gaming seem to drive certain aspects. There’s also plenty of melody in the backdrop, much more so than in the majority of modern day hip hop releases.
The creativity seems endless and with each new listen this entire track grows more and more impressive and enjoyable. The upcoming mix-tape is one worth looking out for if you have indeed tired of the repetitive nature of the bulk of releases under the hip hop blanket lately.
Slim Reaper’s debut mix-tape RiP to the PEACEFUL (me) will be out on November 16th. Download or stream the track here. Find & follow Slim Reaper on Instagram.
