On the new single ‘Living Right’, Chicago-born and raised multi-instrumentalist and producer, Lefty Keyz doesn’t diverge from his core high-quality driven sound. The meticulous, layered production and the ear for complimentary, unassuming harmony between the instruments are both present. Written with a voice in mind, the producer brings in one of Chicago’s outstanding lyrical rappers, OuttDee, who has spent decades in the game. As a result, the track is a focused and structured affair that finds Lefty Keyz producing a powerfully and ingeniously structured smooth rap song.
‘Living Right’ epitomizes everything that is so fresh and innovative about Lefty Keyz’s sound. From the sunshine harmonies, and the wavy horns in the background, to the subtly dynamic percussion, and the shimmering keyboard interludes, Lefty Keyz succeeds in imbuing everything in a warm, laid-back groove that still slaps with understated rhythm. The producer erects a polished framework to accentuate the resonant voice of OuttDee.
Over a trembling bassline, and the thumping percussion, OuttDee’s voice is majestically swept over the surface of the music like a skater on ice. “Thought I was living right when I was living less.
“Thought I was moving right when I was moving left,” opens OuttDee in a convincing tone of voice, as he steadily unfolds the narrative about how you can live right, even when surrounded by all wrongs. The flow of the rapper and his poetic wordplay allows the track to sound fresh yet old school.
Hip-hop and rap nowadays are filled with tracks that rely solely on the hype and bombast to keep the listener entranced. This is simply not the case for ‘Living Right’. This track makes you think while still keeping you locked into the chill groove.
Moreover, OuttDee’s verses act as a tasteful ad thoughtful commentary to accompany the music. It feels informative rather than pretentious and speaks to any listener who is curious about understanding life’s intricacies, and getting the better of it.
The production is so strong that an instrumental version of ‘Living Right’ ft. OuttDee could have a successful solo release of its own as well. However, the union of the deep writing style with the superbly enchanting beat production on this recording is what makes it extra special.
Each component is intuitively blended to create a calming, yet stimulating soundscape that gently drifts into your mindset and seeps through your bones. What the project demonstrates is that Lefty Keyz has a great ear and understands deeply how music and words should be weaved together, intelligently.
The Midwest has been producing music that is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the world for quite a while now, and this track just nourishes and enriches that legacy. Attuned to textural details, Lefty Keyz has been building his brand on sounds that seduce and feed the sensorial abilities of the listener.
If ‘Living Right’ ft. OuttDee is your first time listening to Lefty Keyz, please go listen to everything else this producer has released. It’s all high-quality work that will enable you to understand the full spectrum of who he is as an artist.
Listen to ‘Living Right’ by Lefty Keyz ft. OuttDee on SoundCloud – https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/rDsXA
