Written by Faye Allego If the very peak days of MYX were still around, zayALLCAPS would take that television channel by storm with his musical endeavors, but in this era of DIY, the listening experience of ‘art Pop * pop Art’ is more than enough. In his third studio album, zayALLCAPS seems fun but careful; It’s camp, it’s arbitrary, and it isn’t indulging in the Y2K music nostalgia for the solemn sake of doing so. Zay couldn’t be more clearer: It’s art, and it’s pop. Simple as that. On shuffle, ‘art Pop * pop Art’ is as if your ears are tuning in on different circles of people whom you’ll find at a gig with an hour-long DJ set: “MTV’s Pimp My Ride” is playing when guys in loose jersey shirts are rolling their bodies near the turntable, presumably having the time of their lives. In tracks like “PROCESS,” multiple rhythmic melodies come in like a triple threat – the threat being that Zay stays true to his Instagram username, “Swagalog101”. Dare I say, he has the full potential to bring back the term “Jeproks/Jeprox” through his amalgamation of Jodeci influences in his more sensual sounds. zayALLCAPS pays no cap on that production. Who knew aggressive autotune that sounds like a talk box blended with smooth harmonies into a foamy mic could sound so orgasmic? The thing is, autotune discourse is so overtly tired, but tracks like SATURN (ft. Anto The Wayward) bring plus points to those who simply don’t care about the “correct” usage of autotune. Zay oscillates between tracks through the velvety theatrics of autotune without sounding too hazy or, for lack of a better word, monotone. It’s not a watermark that defines his artistry; however, through the funky textures of “rWm”, this track proves that autotune can be an extension of his persona, bringing prismatic bursts into the listener’s ears without drowning in reverb or harmonies that sound like a repeated Coca-Cola burp. The only downside is that lyrically, Zay keeps it rather dull; “Friendz U Can Kiss” (ft. Frizzy) tries to juxtapose well with the sharp engineering of the album’s seductive yet upbeat production, but the rhythms from the rhymes that match the melody seem to be its only saving grace. In tracks like “Love In U,” lyrics like “Minimizing my synonyms I incentivize a new beginning/Who said I couldn’t? Regrouped I’m super in it/I run the ship like a troop and I’m the new lieutenant/ Had to switch it up staged a coup that’s how I reinvented” bring that campiness element to the song and the album because visually, it seems impossible to mentally illustrate these lyrics in a more retrospective sense, since the synths already provide the fun, lighthearted atmosphere. Nevertheless, the lexis and rhythm bring out the colors within its blues. At its best, ‘art Pop * pop Art’ is a kaleidoscope and a rotating disco ball where sparkly theatrics cast a bright reflection and bursts zayALLCAPS’ sheer personality. The recycling of nostalgia doesn’t exist in any part of his art and succeeds at making art very pop. SUPPORT THE ART AND THE ARTIST: art Pop * pop Art by zayALLCAPS
Tag: cloud rap
TRACK REVIEW: zayALLCAPS – MTV’s Pimp My Ride
Written by Elijah P. It isn’t blatant nostalgia. In fact, it’s the opposite – almost a parody of it. But who’s counting? zayALLCAPS leans hard in between the College Dropout-era “Slow Jamz” and XXYYXX debut territory with his infectious single, “MTV’s Pimp My Ride.” The LA-to-Sacramento Fil-Am crooner-rapper hybrid dropped what could be part of a larger, era-defining compilation tape, but here, R&B gets stripped down to its barest parts. And in this standalone track, somehow it’s also his most cohesive single to date. This isn’t the smooth, synth-led sound of one-dimensional R&B. Instead, zayALLCAPS pulls from the raw textures of the early 2010s LA beat scene, delivering a jagged, off-kilter love letter to the genre. The track stacks harmony over harmony, layering falsetto and grit against pounding 808s that bend the shape of the song. It’s disorienting in the best way, warping the flow just enough to keep you leaning forward. But even as the production threatens to unravel, zayALLCAPS stays locked in vocally, anchoring every moment. “MTV’s Pimp My Ride” sticks. There’s a reason West Coast melodicism has lasted this long, and zayALLCAPS makes it clear he’s not letting go anytime soon. SUPPORT THE ART & THE ARTIST:
MIXTAPE REVIEW: sobe – ICED OUT
Written by Elijah P. The year of 2024 has completed its axis around the sun. Galaxies have aligned to meet the greatest talents and achieve the biggest milestones ever reached. In the case of local music, it’s reached way over its quota. We’ve spent 365 days receiving or witnessing all the accolades and essays from last year’s highlights. From a land thousand miles away mind you, and they managed to catch our attention online. Like a buzzer beater of sorts, it’s a different kind of “plus aura” when you get to be under a listener’s radar for the rest of the year while still being incredibly talented in the same regard. Enter sobe: a Fil-Am musician based in Las Vegas showcasing both unhinged electronica and alternative r&b to the forefront. Their latest mixtape titled “ICED OUT” is as balls-to-the-wall and it is ferocious as it gets. Described as a “maximalist hip-hop tape”, it has quite literally everything an experimental music fan would hope for. Sugary production bitcrushing; hyperpop influenced breakdowns; downright chaotic squeals between pastiche producer tags, sobe has the entire music world on her shiny fingertips. However, this is more than a rager than most everyone would dismiss it to be. These soundscapes give more justice than it is credited for. sobe is out here counting these bands while the rest of her arsenal cooks up more glitch-hop mayhem one track after the other, linking together the bombast of rap mixtape sensibilities with the destructive ease of the crushing mallets landing right on your speaker monitors. Alchemy is in the works in “ICED OUT”. Highlights include overwhelming left turns such as “tiradores” and its blown out production: low pass filters, rattling hi-hats, and disorienting pitches; “4uuuu”, a self-professed ‘broke girl anthem’ while keys jangle in the backdrop of a big-room club banger. She showcases more than just plain lyrical braggadocio in between hosting her own mixtape, the entire project exceeds expectations past production flexing. sobe’s versatility in “ICED OUT” shines the brightest. In “wadditiss”, sobe contemplates on taking out bad exes and taunting on guys for not getting ‘hoes’ while scratches and revving subwoofers cry at the back; “tip” keeps up with sobe’s signature falsetto vocals – a slightly unorthodox approach that would make her lightyears away from most r&b copycats. It has that tongue-in-cheek quality yet bolsters in being earth-shattering. “break in 2” dabbles in pluggnb inspired synthwork, the flourishes include xylophones that patterns like a lullaby while choppy vocals poke in and out of the track. All in all, it’s safe to say that sobe is a proud kababayan making it in the underground of Las Vegas, riding ahead of the trend waves in rap and alternative r&b. Ultimately creating a lane that’s uniquely her own. And like her hometown, Sin City, she continues to break the rules in rap, and that also includes space, time and sound in “ICED OUT”. Support the art and the artist:
TRACK REVIEW: zaniel – C2 NA RED!
Written by Louis Pelingen One thing worth discussing about novelty or meme songs is whether or not they succeed with what they’re specifically trying to joke about, especially if there is something notable to the punchlines and melodic construction for said meme song to work long-term. While there are cases when the memetic humor sadly tilt into corny and flimsy territory, there are times when the artist knows their strengths and then applies them to the song so the meme eventually becomes captivatingly silly and catchy at the end of the day. Fortunately, zaniel’s C2 NA RED! falls into the latter category. What makes C2 NA RED! intriguingly stick is simply due to zaniel’s ability for composition and production, where his built-up experience of comfortably swooning over these cloud rap beats has a clarity that effectively shows up in spades for this song, showcasing the overall quality of his melodic crooning amidst the booming bass and chalky drums that’s well-blended in the mix. Said melodic crooning does add so much to the humor, adding an amount of kooky energy in simply embodying his favoritism of C2’s apple flavor over anything else and feeling exasperated when the store close to him doesn’t have the apple flavor in stock, just as he expected. Short but sweet, C2 NA RED! is a meme song that has enough charm and polish to the melodic craft, eventually enhancing the succinctly silly humor on display. Even if there is a worry that the meme will overshadow zaniel’s future work – an unfortunate side-effect to acts that are slowly establishing their music but are somehow limited by that one big meme song – the strengths that he does share in this track are at least a good presentation for what he’s capable of doing more as an artist. In the meantime, take a sip of this drink, it is certainly a flavor that’s worth gulping from time to time.
TRACK REVIEW: P4blo – baka magalit boyfriend mo
Written by Elijah P. The concept of “girlbestfriends” or “boybestfriends” in the year 2023 might be a ludicrous rap theme for older listeners. For those out of the loop, think of it as a zoomer litmus test of infidelity – an archaic concept that traces back to the time when infidelity is still pretty much a playful yet haphazard theme to rap around. Think of SZA’s “The Weekend” except it’s executed on a less deeply personal level. In the decade that is the 2020s, you’re pretty much in the clear to goof around with the exception of earworms and infectious hooks. Rapper and singer P4blo does it effortlessly. In “baka magalit boyfriend mo”, the up-and-coming rapper melodically prances around the concept of being a sideboyfriend or the proud rebound to the protagonist’s girlbestfriend in cloudrap form – sped-up piano notes, reversed synth pads and sliders, and vocal harmonies melding together. P4BLO knew for sure what he was writing about yet the undeniable hook writing shouldn’t work out, but its inescapable melodies make it an anthem for all sidechicks or sidebffs all over. Not that the casual clueless listener is to acknowledge the existence of such culture, but rather this substitute for the typical Valentine’s playlist should be highly considered for all. Support the art & the artist: