R.I.S.E
Reach Inside
Self Evolve
By
Stephen Wallace
Way back in December of 2019 I reviewed Stephen’s debut EP
Comin Thru. That EP was quite dark and, in places, brutal too. However, it was
also a triumph in the face of adversity.
For the R.I.S.E EP Stephen is joined by Diamond Sire, who
provides not only production and cuts for the EP but also mixed and mastered
the whole thing. There are also features from Micky Swags, Eskar and Subtex.
So, just what has Mr Wallace cooked up for us over the last
couple of years…
The EP kicks off with the EP’s title track R.I.S.E which
has an eerie vibe courtesy of some pounding drums and synth sounds. Stephen’s
raw and gritty vocals threaten to literally tear your soul apart, like Pinhead
from Hellrazor. But this horrorcore style vibe that jumps out at you from the
get-go seems to be deceptive as that first impression appears to be a mask that
hides the lighter side, a side that speaks from the heart. The message here is
really that, no matter what is going on around you, it is deep inside yourself
that you will find the strength and resolve to push past the darkness and shine
your inner light to the world around you.
Next up Stephen is joined by Micky Swags and Eskar on Monster,
a track that takes you to a shadowy world on a mix of drums, piano and synth
sounds. The shadows are the place where the monsters dwell. But it is not just
in the shadows around us where we find the monsters, they also lurk inside of
our shadow selves. There are times when we find we need to become something of
a monster to survive or just to get by but, does that mean that we have to be
evil or a negative force? Sometimes it means that you have to reflect to those
around you the only thing they understand in order for you to rise above them.
A head nod backdrop of drums sampled sounds and slick cuts
opens us up to what initially appears to be a simple track the centres around
something we have all become so familiar with these past couple of years, Virus.
Now, you might get the vibe that this track is all about a virus getting into
your body but, it’s not as simple as that. What if the virus was the negative
information, the fear, that was perpetrated by the media and powers that be?
What if that negative information infected your mind, causing you to pass on
those false expectations appearing real to others? Just think about it, these
are just my thoughts as Stephen does invite me to pull it all apart in the
track…
Thinking about what I just said about fear, the EP ends with
Stephen and Subtex joining forces over a mind-bending mix of drums and
keyboards. This sound seems to permeate your mind, body, and soul with
realisations about that viral fear that is out there in the external world.
Here it’s all about not allowing that external pressure in to Control The
Fear but, for us to be the ones to be in control. We need to see the fear
for what it truly is, the False Expectations Appearing Real, and not what it
seems to be, the truth…
On the face of it the R.I.S.E EP appears to be this stark reflection
of reality delivered in a horrorcore style vibe. Entertaining hip hop that
delivers brutal cuts to you mind with the razor-sharp rusty tools wielded by
those holding the mic as dark sinister vibes claw at your soul. However, what
we may very well have here is cleaver case of musical and lyrical misdirection,
where it appears to be one thing on the face of it but, in reality it is
something very different.
It is easy to see the bleak nature of reality that surrounds
us everyday within the soundscapes and coarse lyrical delivery but, the deeper
enjoyment here is to feel the depth within Stephen’s lyrical content and
understand how that directs us to the brighter days beyond what is forced upon
us by the media every day. You may or may not agree on what is being fed to us
everyday but, we can all agree that there is so much pain and suffering out
there that we need music to direct us to better days and sometimes we need to
see the reflections of darkness to be able to see the light.
Also, there is also a deep message here that our own
personal experiences will often colour the way we deliver our message and that
ultimately it will be our own desire to change that will help us to Reach
Inside Self Evolve to become the best version of ourselves.
Everything about this flows so well. Stephen Wallace has a
knack for delivering hard raw lyrics that are also intelligent and come from a
heartfelt place with a desire to bring something a little different but, still
with its root deeply in Hip Hop. Diamond Sire brings some deep Hip Hop
soundscapes that perfectly reflect the intention in Stephen’s lyrics and allow
a perfect flow across the EP from start to finish.
If you like your Hip Hop hard dark and with a twist, then
R.I.S.E is most definitely one for you. Released through Powerlab Recordings,
R.I.S.E is out now.
I’m out,
Steve
LINKS
Get R.I.S.E on Bandcamp Here:
https://djdiamondsire.bandcamp.com/album/r-i-s-e
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