Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
The alternative side of hip-hop is having an incredible year, and independent rappers like Caribbean crossover reggae artist Lan Lawd are the reason why. In Lan Lawd’s new single with Nicko Rebel “So Good,” he sets his sound apart from everyone else in the contemporary international underground by incorporating elements from progressive reggae as well as Jamaican mento, traditional hip-hop, and even a taste of alternative rap, yielding one of the most diverse and surprisingly melodic profiles of anyone in the underground today. “So Good” isn’t his most multilayered material ever to see international release, but it can be said that it’s perhaps his most emotive and direct by a landslide.
Hybrid tonality is the name of the hip-hop game in 2023, and no one seems to know that better than this guy does. As previously stated, his sound is an amalgamation of a lot of worldly influences, and even though it might be hard to cohesively structure a song that includes every stitch of the patchwork comprising his style, he makes it look remarkably easy here. There’s a lot of reggae in his vocals, a little swing in his bass, and a cosmopolitan rap groove holding all of the intricate pieces together like a super glue that was designed to last forever.
Lan Lawd is still pretty much the new kid on the block for some mainstream rap aficionados, but he’s grown so much since his debut hit the airwaves. An exercise in maturity in the style of “So Good” simply would not have been possible during his initial campaign and I think that almost anyone familiar with his early work would be inclined to agree with me. There’s a lot more gusto here, but it’s not coming from an unearned mantle at all whatsoever.
The bass isn’t nearly as loud and boisterous as the percussion is in this single, but it doesn’t hurt the harmony in this dirge in the least. In addition to being a killer songwriter and master arranger, Nicko Rebel specifically proves himself a worthwhile harmonist in “So Good” by cultivating one of the smoothest melodic duets of the fall with his bassline in the track. It’s something that I haven’t heard nearly as much of as I would have hoped to as we came into 2023 ten months ago, and other than this harmonic combo of Nicko Rebel and Lan Lawd, I don’t know that there’s any other pair with the collective vocal talent to pull off something as elaborate in tone as this charming example is.
I don’t think we need to argue about this one; Lan Lawd is an artist that reggae, rap, and pop fans alike need to be following right now, and he’s giving audiences around the globe something to get turned on by in his most recent studio cut. “So Good” is emotional but sure of itself in the most important of ways, and in today’s calculated pop culture, it’s a rather unique track to come across. I definitely can’t wait to hear more from Lan Lawd and Nicko Rebel in the future, as he’s yet to disappoint me with his music so far.
Claire Uebelacker
