GoldLink's rapid rise to relevance isn't unlike others' we've seen over the years, but to be netting nearly one million plays on SoundCloud with only six tracks to his name (and no projects until now) is something pretty special. However, when one taps into the work put forth by the DMV-native, the element of surprise evaporates, and understanding takes its place. To put things simply, there are few artists out with as fervent a flow as GoldLink's, and because he appears to have fallen into the right production groups, it's safe to say The God Complex, his debut body of work released today, is merely a starting point in his soon-to-be illustrious artistic career. The God Complex carries with it an interesting inclusion on SoundCloud, a comment by the notoriously controversial author and pastor, Rob Bell, stating, "The moment God is figured out with nice neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God". It's unknown just how spiritual a being GoldLink is himself, but, regardless, the decision to include the aforementioned words tells of an individual attuned to detail and intellect, each attributes that are flush throughout the nine-track work. We could've predicted this to be the case going into it, but it's indeed refreshing to see the expressed talent on his preceding single, "Planet Paradise", to carry over into the proceeding project here. Sonically, The God Complex keeps relatively cohesive throughout, though this is slightly ironic given its nature. The overarching theme of the tracks is dynamicness; the production, delivery, and content all seem to have adventurous minds of their own, though, are attached to the same body (that being the album itself). It makes for multiple spikes of intrigue throughout, with rapid-fire lyricism and future-bounce beats intermingling with more casually expressed verses and vibes, making the mixtape seem thematically sporadic, but in a successfully experimental kind of way. From the collection of efforts analyzed above, we took to the ever-poignant efforts of "When I Die" and the LAKIM-produced "Fuck Being Polite" more favorably than the rest (though they've all alluring elements, truly), and have featured them below alongside the greatness that is the awesomely absorbing single, "Planet Paradise". We invite you all to check out the entirety of The God Complex, though, which you can do by clicking HERE. As usual with these upcoming artists, the project is downloaded for free, so you've no reason not to get listening as soon as possible.
GoldLink