“Sebbrooklyn!*” works more naturally as Lil Sebby’s first true breakthrough recording. He spent the last year establishing himself as one of rap’s most incandescent upcoming players in the new wave of hip-hop, but is now trying to prove he has consistency. He’s attempting two difficult tasks here, setting out to prove he’s capable of making more than one kind of track, while also reckoning with holding together an 10 song album with no features by his side. He succeeds on both counts, as his easy charisma, and boundless enthusiasm carries him effortlessly across the recording.
Hailing from Boston, and now living in Brooklyn, New York, Lil Sebby has been gaining attention and amassing streams across all platforms. The reason is clear from the start of this album – he has fine-tuned the array of deliveries and sounds he’s playing with here. The album is a great example of how Lil Sebby works as a rapper: when you are listening to a Lil Sebby song you are always hearing Lil Sebby.
One minute he bulldozes through beats, throwing out punchlines and self-referential details, too fast for you to keep up. Then the next, his crooning the most mellifluous choruses on the block. Songs generally clock in around three minutes, and Lil Sebby sounds like he’s totally in his comfort zone, which is all the album needs to be.
From the moment the album opens with “Sebbrooklyn!*” there is a welcome dose of both swagger and introspection from a man who clearly has a lot of insight to offer on the complications of living. “Send Me Da Pin” is a virtuosic showcase that finds Lil Sebby right at home, ramming through a litany of hi-hat switches, emphasizing the natural percussiveness of his voice. He speeds up and slows down to match the production.
“I.K.Y.W.G.L” confirms that no one else does what he does, and that he does a lot of it. Listening to Lil Sebby is like turning on a faucet with high water pressure. His voice is all round edges and solid cores on the overtly sultry “Sexy”, and then clips his words so that they’re clean and legible on “Like Dis” and yet they also seem to run into one another on the melodic “B Like Me”, showcasing all of Lil Sebby’s versatility.
Sure enough, Lil Sebby’s flow varies a number of times on this album: He affects breathless speed on “Faded”, while applying trendy slurriness on and bouncing all over the beat. On “Do What I Do”, he creeps against a futuristic instrumental, and, most excitingly, performs a verbal balancing act against the banging slow burn rhythm. All throughout, Lil Sebby’s voice and effects are just so strong, so signature.
Moving forward, Lil Sebby continues his usual melodic and bouncy style on “Ballin”, With its balance of balladry nostalgia and high-energy flex, the track grooves on a bass-booming ambient vibe. The song brings an urgent atmosphere and an air of confidence, as Lil Sebby serves a set of twisting flows.
Even the biggest critics can’t deny Lil Sebby’s sing-song deliveries. When he’s hot, he is untouchable, and he is both of those things on the album closer, “I’m Next”, where he switches his flow between straight rapping, and melodic flexing. Lil Sebby is at his best when his personality shines through on tracks, something he pulls off on this cut, and a great number of other songs on “Sebbrooklyn!*”. The can be no doubt that Lil Sebby has the talent to really stand out in the new wave rap game right now.
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Contact Information –
Manager – Ethan Felizzari (CK Records – Management)
Phone – (917) 426-5388
Email – ethan@ckproductionsnewyork.com
