Album Review: Antwon- Heavy Hearted in Doldrums
Biggie meets Cloud Rap.
What does that even mean?
It’s something I read somewhere on the Internet that was
attempting to describe the sound of rapper Antwon.
You see, within the world of music, there are genres, and
then there are sub-genres. And then there are things I like to call theoretical
genres. “Cloud Rap,” would be one of those. It’s not really a real thing, per se. But it’s a term on
the Internet used to describe certain artists.
I guess it’s real enough to have its own Wikipedia entry,
claiming that it is noted for “its use of ethereal, dreamlike beats, and
frequently stream of consciousness, surreal or absurd lyrics.” It’s also
apparently known as “trillwave,” which is a term I am hearing for the first
time now, and I both love and hate it.
I suppose going by these definitions alone, Antwon could
definitely be described as “Biggie meets Cloud Rap.”
Hailing from San Jose, Antwon is like, you know, a bigger
dude, so he’s got a little bit of Christopher Wallace (whether it is
intentional or not) in his cadence. But while Biggie loved to talk about guns,
and the crack game—like many post-Internet rappers, Antwon’s lyrics are
primarily about the drugs he’s on, and how he is, like, knee deep in pussy.
You see, a bulk of Heavy
Hearted’s songs are dedicated to the ladies; specifically, the ladies that
Antwon is just straight out railing in graphic detail. He really wastes no time
getting down to it—like, right out the gate on the open track, “Rain Song,”
where he casually tosses out, “Got long
hair but that pussy hair braided.”
Later on, it’s “baby hair,” on the aptly titled “Baby Hair,”
a song with a refrain that left me a little confused, and kind of uncomfortable—“As long as your daddy don’t care, girl,
I’mma run my fingers through your baby hairs.” Like, what does that even
mean?
Or do I even want to know?
Heavy Hearted is a
rather short affair—coming in at a little over a half hour, and some of the
tracks are so short that they feel a little unfinished. In contrast, at times,
there are songs that run a little long and could have benefited from some
self-editing—“Mr. Intercontinental,” specifically, goes on a tad longer than it
should have. And structurally speaking,
he saves all of the two-minute or less tracks until the end of the record, so
it ends up coming to a rather abrupt ending.
Musically, Antwon has recruited a different producer for
each of the album’s 12 tracks. That’s a risky move, since it removes a feeling
of cohesion at times, but the risk, for the most part, pays off, because the
songs all work relatively well together. Little Pain’s go-to producer
Suicideyear turns up on “Don’t Care,” one of the album’s many 80s synth-pop
inspired tracks, juxtaposing incredibly raunchy lyrics with a somewhat
whimsical beat. And on “Loser” and “Rain Song,” he conjures some very
Spaceghostpurrp-esq spooky atmospherics.
There also may or may not be a nod to DMX’s “Ruff Rhyders’
Anthem” with the keyboard sequencing on “Cold Tears.”
When he isn’t rapping about all the sex he’s having, Antwon
can be pretty clever if he wants to be. Early on in the record, there’s a blink
and you miss it reference to that Disney movie Blank Check, and later on “Stop,” he mentions the popular Twitter hashtag
“#ThisCouldBeUsButYouPlayin.”
Antwon may brag about fulfilling the ladies, and I hesitate
to say that Heavy Hearted is an
unfulfilling listening experience, but it leaves something to be desired. It’s an interesting album—that is certain.
And it is by no means a bad record, but as a lyricist, Antwon could probably
benefit from some growth, unless rapping about all the sex he’s having is his
gimmick. If that’s the case, then Heavy
Hearted in Doldrums accomplishes exactly what it set out to do.
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