In the aftermath of Vh1’s TLC biopic, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, the incomparable GoldLink (a regular to the site) has decided to drop off a brand spanking new track here at EARMILK. The record is a rework of the TLC classic “Creep”, but it’s flipped like never before. Once you hear those signature horns, nostalgia will lead you to expect Tee Boz’s hoarse voice effortlessly navigating the funky bassline. What you’ll get instead is an incredibly fresh take that is as much a terrific reinterpretation as it is an act of paying respects.
GoldLink’s flow is one of a kind: it feels raw and untamable, yet he still manages to settle into all the pockets. There isn’t an artist out he raps like, and that’s the best compliment you can give a young MC on the rise. He meshes with the retro, Dallas Austin production effortlessly despite straying from his typical “Future Bounce” aesthetic and throws out bar after bar after bar at a relentless pace. We know he can rap, though. “Creep” transcends his previous records because it addresses personal failed relationship honestly, but not sappily. It is the first look at the artist as a man and not a rapper, and if he can continue to produce records this self-aware, his breakthrough is just over the horizon. Additionally, at the end of the track, a flipped sample of Genuine’s “In Those Jeans” returns Link back to familiar territory, perhaps hinting at something else soon to come. Stay tuned.
Check out the premiere of GoldLink’s “Creep” reinvention, and be on the lookout for his debut, which is due on very soon (we hope).
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