Rapper Mac is very chameleonic on his very first EP, “HOUPTIE CRUISING VOL. 1”, constantly changing up and down his delivery and format yet staying dope no matter how much he switches. Mistakes are few and with 8 songs on his debut there is hardly room for under par tracks. Most are 808-based bangers with smooth and soulful instrumentation. Skits and features are not present, nor really necessary either, as Mac is strong enough on his own without needing to be metaphorically explained as a roller coaster ride. Listeners can figure out the ups and downs of his diverse musical style all on their own.
On first listening one might be tempted to say “HOUPTIE CRUISING VOL. 1” is a surprisingly strong debut EP, and there are many who will truly be surprised that Mac is such dope emcee. While his colleagues and peers may have wanted him to hide in the shadows Mac can’t be kept in the dark any longer, showing a talent that shines far brighter than can be expected on a first outing. If Mac can overcome longevity without his sound getting old, he will do some great things. His ability to deliver on-point rap lyrics with humoristic twist on the occasion, is amazing.
This is one of the more diversified recordings I’ve heard in a while. Mac displays that he is truly the next generation of artist. I can’t wait to see if he can break the chains that have been created by the industry with his back to 808 basics style of music.
While most rappers are searching for big, lusciously layered and epic soundscapes, maybe to cover a lack of smart lyricism I suppose, Mac lays down background beats that are minimal and sometimes playful, leaving his flow and rhymes to carry the weight of the track.
He is focused, energetic and almost naïve in his approach to the game. Hence he affronts his grind unafraid and unassuming, without label shackles or thematic boundaries. He is not chasing a Top40 spot on the charts, so eschews the usual commercial hooks and overblown studio trickery meant to gloss up glass pretending to be diamonds.
If I had a gripe with Mac, it would be for the explicit language which I personally feel doesn’t always suit or enhance his style, but that’s my own thing, and probably wouldn’t make a difference to others. As soon as I heard the opening song, “I GOT IT FREESTYLE (prod. yung cry)”, I knew this EP was going to be tight. This song has that first-release- fresh-track feel that “HOUPTIE CRUISING VOL. 1” carries most of the time.
The beat has a killer bass that knocks hard. The verses, chorus and bridges are tight. Everything is delivered on this song. Mac displays his ability to flow like running water on “Boy Genius (prod. rugaa993)”, while “NOW OR LATER (prod. tyto)” only confirms that first impression.
So if you take the entire Mac skillset and put it on a track what happens? You get fire, in the shape of the groovy “OFF (prod. juggteam1k)”. Now there are still 4 tracks to listen to, as we are only halfway through the playlist. So grab you ass and head over to Mac’s music stream and grab a listen to the rest of “HOUPTIE CRUISING VOL. 1” engineered by Xavierhashits!
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD – INSTAGRAM – TWITTER
