Stienway (Original Crew Music) is a DJ turned producer, turned artist. Originally from Detroit MI, he moved to California and got a distribution deal with Def Jam back in the day. Stienway has worked with, and produced a number of top artists, including Mokenstef, AMG and Greedy Greg. After a bad divorce he lost everything and became homeless, before restructuring his life and releasing music again. A little e older, and probably a whole lot wiser now, Stienway has been quietly planning on rebuilding his brand, as he comes at us with a trap styled banger called “Um Ball’n”.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that someone who was hustling during the nineties has his best days behind him. Instead, here Stienway sounds like a trap boss. Ferociously articulate, and comfortably sitting in the pocket of the vibe, as he runs through his witty rhymes.
Stienway is smart. He knows his lane and stays in it. He keeps things simple, as he spits his lines filled with charisma and cool, making sure everything is easily digestible to a vast crowd.
This is probably the most significant proof that Stienway isn’t your average rapper. If anything, his tracks have only gotten better. Stienway’s music is almost always celebratory, and his tone within the music is perfect.
His consistent anthemic attitude, his inspiration to write good songs is commendable. He makes everything he does sound like a triumphant victory, and “Um Ball’n” is no exception to the rule. It certainly helps, as well, that the music he raps over bangs with a vengeance.
“Um Ball’n” is the sound of an artist continually evolving into something new. Yet at the same time Stienway’s main skill has always been to stay true to what he does best, while managing to retain an appealing sound and this track doesn’t lack that characteristic. The best thing that can be said about Stienway and his tracks is that they ooze old school charisma.
Stienway knows how to find a beat that suits his style of rapping and ride it skillfully. He also understands exactly how to let the beat breathe under his flow. “Um Ball’n” is a perfect example of this. The rapper’s poetry is bold and sharp, with wondrous lines that humor and titillate. Ambition is supposed to be a young man’s game, but Stienway is getting ready to conquer the tendencies of rap’s new wave generation.
Stienway has been building up a vigorous and dynamic foundation over the last few months with a series of releases. “Um Ball’n” finds Stienway firing on all cylinders, and at the top of his game, as he lands jaw crushing lyrical punches on almost every bar with charming nonchalance.
He is a clever and loose thinker, who remains consistent throughout this track. What ultimately makes “Um Ball’n” tick is a combination of thorough production and solid mic skills.
