Rising artist from Salt Lake City, Mack Lightning, has been into music since a young age, listening to Eminem’s Slim Shady album, when he was about 10 years old. Currently he is promoting his album “When Thunder Strikes”. The album sees Mack hop on a variety of production styles that range from modernized to the classic approach. He delivers dynamic rhyme schemes, resonant vocal timbres, decapitating punchlines, laser-sharp focus, and an endless barrage of lyrics, each more impressive than the last.
The art of rapping is what Mack Lightning is most known for, so I was pleasantly surprised by the opening track, “Life of Sin”- a song that highlights the quality of his artistry. His lyrics match his music which matches his voice and style perfectly. “Became a Stray (Freestyle)” quickly reveals Mack’s ability to play with words, and create clever lines. He does this while forming real, intellectual thoughts and ideas about what he is aiming to express.
Mack Lightning’s specific passion and agility with words, along with his keen wit and direct hit at creating meaning through lyrics, is immediately impressive. It is clear he wants to make meaningful music that he enjoys making. Songs that will express his views and his art simultaneously. This is something he brings to the table on moody “Stolen Benz”, and the stunning “What Would You Do”.
Mack Lightning not only shows us he can rap with some cold flows and witty lines, but he reveals he can also bring plenty of nuance and vibe. Which is what he does on “Hit Wit A Vision”. Mack definitely knows how he wants to convey his music, and it’s consistently beautiful. The afflicted and introspective “You Mean A Lot”, offers the album’s most soul-searching moments, and is an immersive and emotional listening experience.
Mack Lightning closes the album with the song, “With My Dawgs”, embodying what makes his style so essential – namely intricate flow patterns, disparate rhyme schemes deftly interwoven, and a nonchalant confidence befitting of the instrumental behind him. Mack’s greatest strength is the sound of his delivery, both in what he writes and how he says it.
“When Thunder Strikes” interpolates production advances as modern hip-hop should, faithful to the past of the genre without forgetting about the here and now. And in such, Mack Lightning concentrates first and foremost on making killer sounding tracks. Mack not only steals the show with his witty lyricism and effervescent flows, but also masterfully captures the intended theme of each song.
With his unique delivery and amazing flow Mack Lightning captured and held my attention with ease, from the beginning to the end of “When Thunder Strikes”. He knows he has loads of potential and this is just the start of him releasing that potential out into the world. Other rappers should start taking note if they haven’t already, because this project may have only scratched the surface of Mack’s talents. It wouldn’t be very surprising if the bar were raised even higher with whatever he does next.
OFFICIAL LINKS: http://www.thehitfactory.net
