The first month of 2022 saw some incredibly strong releases from mainstream auteurs Earl Sweatshirt and The Weeknd; two artists who’ve used the past five or six years to perfect their respective lanes beyond compromise.
January also witnessed a lifeless dud from Gunna, the Young Thug disciple who’s drip or drown formula reached banal heights on his most recent streaming playlist DRIP SEASON 4EVER.
The year, overall however, is off to a pretty decent start all things considering. Grammy nominations may have passed, but good music is too expansive and disparate for any of that to matter. With that in mind, here are a couple of excellent tracks/projects that made lasting impacts right off the bat, a couple of which found close to home.
A pair of western Mass. projects
Deziner Drugz, Villa Velli, Work Scorsese – God Complex
Anyone who’s lived in western Massachusetts knows how much of a soul-sucking landscape it can be. The winters feel longer without much to do, non-white communities are completely forgotten in bigger projects, and the rap scene is present but skeletal thanks to a lack of interest from a broader community.
That being said, good music is still being made in the 413, but more community support would go a long way in garnering excitement and putting a chink in the mundane armor found off of exit 51.
Western Mass. artists Deziner Drugz, Villa Velli, and Connecticut producer Work Scorsese have been making music for years based off of their YouTube channel, but their collaborative album God Complex piqued my interest with hard-nosed bars that strike a balance between luxury, street knowledge and pursuit of the mountaintop.
The beats are icy, yet elegant loops that marinate through cold air, while Deziner and Villa plod their way through the tape with deadpan flexes, witty one-liners, and rags to riches minutiae grounded in vivid reality. “Ya’ll n****s going broke tryna find God/Now we’re rocking Gucci shirts, used to be the IZOD,” raps Deziner on “40K.” On “Chandelier,” they’re breaking down trees in a Ralph flannel like a lumberjack, and if you continue to fuck with them, you’ll receive smoke you don’t want like a blown exhaust. The nights might be frigid, but the backyard is boiling.
Karina Kapri- Ego Death (technically released in December, but close enough)
In a video from 2020 about her track “Love is Law,” Springfield’s Karina Kapri describes herself as a witch when asked about the song’s inspiration. Since then, she’s seemingly taken that niche to higher levels with the song “Coven.” On this track, a collaborative effort with Chaunacey and AuDIOhmaste, the trio refers to themselves as the “Brew Ha” crew, and Kapri sings about witches in the building while a séance is held in an unmarked corner of the woods.
On Ego Death, the production and Kapri’s vocals are grander and atmospheric, while stark symbolism breathes through the EP’s sensuality.
Kapri had this to say about the EP’s inception: “I knew this project was going to be named ego death. My next album after At Last was suppose to be a techno/edm sounding album and that’s how the EP was birthed! Recorded all the songs at my significant other’s apartment in the kitchen area. Came back home and mixed and mastered it. It really just signifies moving forward on the path I’ve ignored for so long. I decided to take the red pill forever with At Last because I seen that so many of my dreams manifested to the point I was inside of them! People think dreams are only superstardom and wealth. I dreamed for family and trusting my own wings so ego death was just continuing on with a different but similar sound from me. Because everything is different but I’m still the same person…I’ve always been and my music always reflects my life in real time. Entire project is written about the same person. She’s an artist (Canvas lol). She’s even on the project! Music is a very personal thing to me so if it’s Close To Me I reveal it in the sound space.”
Some other great tracks/projects
Big Sosa – “DEADMAN’ (ART BLOCK Freestyle)
Vintage Lee – “B2B”
Vintage is riding high after 2016’s “Hennythings Possible” made its way to a recent Euphoria episode. This is the natural victory lap, and Jord4neverdied’s frenetic beat fits the mood.
Tommy Chronic – Loosies Volume 1
Kick back, and smoke one to the chopped and remixed versions of Massachusetts’ finest.
