Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
It’s hard to break into the music industry, but in terms of sheer difficulty on the professional level, I don’t know of another genre in the pop lexicon that is quite as difficult to penetrate as hip-hop is.
From the beats to the fashion and the culture this music helps to inspire, there’s nothing bigger in the world right now than rap and the rappers who make it such. While they don’t have an easy road ahead of them, Shaheed and DJ Supreme are chasing big things with their own rap career this spring via a single called “World of Water” that could do for them what so many other records have failed to do for others.
Although dominated by a self-awareness that makes the song a standout even without taking into consideration any of its cosmetic trappings, “World of Water” doesn’t have a conservative structure at all – it’s a rather beastly, progressively stylized piece of material. There’s no denying that any rappers other than SADJS would have changed the music’s identity, and that’s why I think it’s very representative of who they are as an act.
The sway of the rhythm is really aggressive, but it’s controlled by the presence of the vocal rather than the direct action of the percussion. Where a lot of trap is putting high hats where emotional lyrical contrast should be, this isn’t a single that spots us a lot of sexy grooving for a lack of depth from the poet performing the verses. The bassline in “World of Water” is incredibly efficient and makes me actually feel a little bad for the rappers who have yet to master the art of using a good thing sparingly both in and out of the recording studio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFntLNCdccU
This track’s hook isn’t all harmony, but layers of melodicism that strike out with a bit of extra percussive zeal from my man at the microphone, which alone makes this a more conceptual composition than some of the other players I’ve been listening to in the month of May would be able to contend with.
It will be very interesting to see how both of these uniquely talented artists are able to evolve over the next few years, but if I’m just basing my prediction of their future on what they’re already done in their short career thus far, I’d say that there’s enough in “World of Water” to verify their authenticity and viability as a long-term fixture in mainstream hip-hop. There are still a few rough edges in their sound, but as long as Shaheed and DJ Supreme don’t reject the unspoken desire to experiment with the limitations of their songwriting they’re bound to develop at one time or another in their lifetime, I think they’re going to keep making hit singles that will replicate the success “World of Water” brings them. This is a good test for what they’re ready to do next, and anyone who thinks otherwise hasn’t listened to this amazing new song yet.
Bradley Wickham
