There's no debating the fact that Chicago is a hotspot for talent, but the sheer amount of artists making a name for themselves out of the Windy City is absolutely astounding. The latest out of the area is an emcee by the name of ProbCause, and he brings us a promising project by the name of WAVES. WAVES is a collection of previously released tracks and new material totaling, equating to 33 minutes and 33 seconds of future-flavored hip-hop. Three of the ten tracks ProbCause solos on, and with the remaining seven he invites features by the likes of Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet, Twista, Gibbs, The O'MY's, and more. It's admittedly unusual to see that many features, but it works well to grant glam to the body of work as a whole. Within it, we get a look into the life of a young emcee who's concerned with the young and reckless lifestyle moreso than any one topic in particular. The subject matter is scattered between drugs, women, emceeing, and a carefree life. It's not political, not especially conscious, but it's very laid-back and fun. It's diverse, veering from slower flows erring in the sub-genre of jazz-rap to hard-hitting, hard-spitting electro-rap. It's a perfect summer project, and you'll surely be playing tracks like "LSD", "Chicago Style", and "One of a Kind" until fall comes around. The production on WAVES has a very unique element in it as well, with production from ExMag, Fortified Sounds, Drew Mantia, and more. The project takes a journey through the soundscape of Chicago with influences from jazz, rock, blues, and electronic sounds. There's an excess of brass, a plethora of gritty drums rhythms, a surfeit of swimming synths, a profusion of funky basslines, and even some organ employed. When mixed together, the sound is dynamic, often building slowly then exploding into a euphoric, instrumental explosion. In some of the more electronic songs such as "Ego Trip", the sound builds and maintains throughout. Overall, it's a very innovative approach taken to the raps themselves, and while the instrumentals could very well stand on their own, ProbCause's unique cadence complements them greatly. WAVES takes on an involved marriage of sounds as a result, and we've our favorite spilled out for you below. If you find that you want more, stream the project in whole HERE.
ProbCause