Gabriel 23, is an independent Songwriter/Artist from Kansas City, Kansas. Recently, his track entitled “Too Late” (Prod. By Izak) made its debut on his hometown’s biggest station Kansas City’s Hot 103 Jamz radio. Gabriel soon followed up with his brand new single “In Da Game”, produced by Legion Beats. In Hip Hop, getting too comfortable can sometimes lead to a decline in effort due to loss of hunger. That won’t happen to Gabriel anytime soon as looks to bring his blend of vintage and modern rap together.
“Too Late”, kicks in, giving listeners a comfortable feel. Izak’s production is smooth and Gabriel’s flow isn’t too overpowering for it. The rapper sound’s comfortable and in his zone. And that gives him lots of initiative to get some things off his chest. Just checking out the video of the song it becomes clear that its Gabriel’s everyman appeal that makes his music so genuine.
It’s been some time since I’ve listened to a hip-hop track that made me want to thank the emcee and producer for sharing their artistry, but this was my initial sentiment after listening to this single installment of Gabriel’s releases. Not because he was lyrically on fire, or because the production was groundbreaking and totally innovative.
Nope, not for any of those reasons. What Gabriel does so extremely well on “Too Late” (Prod. By Izak), is dish out a whole lot of vibe and groove. It’s like this dude was simply chilling and laying out his thoughts in sequence. So much of modern day hip-hop sounds like artificially induced rant sessions.
There may be technical prowess and cinematic beats made to impress, but the feel and humanity of an authentic rapper lay down bars while slipping into the groove is pretty much lost, I thought, until I bumped into Gabriel. Unassuming, spontaneous and lyrically proficient, he seems able to spin a tale and get a chip of his shoulder without raising an eyebrow.
Half smiling, half scorning, he runs through his bars on “Too Late” with the smoothness of a veteran. Gabriel understands that rapping requires more than just being a technician. He takes you on a trip down memory lane when artists knew how to communicate, not just articulate.
Even on the more new-age sound of “In Da Game” (Prod. By LegionBeats), Gabriel doesn’t lose his ability to relate in a clear and concise way. Even though his flow is more syncopated and urgent, he maintains his balance between nuance and context. His vivid narrative is impressively paced by a compound writing structure and bolstered by LegionBeats revered sonic arsenal.
The track transports you directly into the mind of Gabriel, inspiring a deeper level of introspection, which easily surpasses the average emcee’s skill set. Gabriel’s tracks serves as a reminder House Slippers serves as a reminder that some emcees still actually value hip-hop for more than just a get rich quick scheme.
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