What happens when you combine a alternative rapper, a idiosyncratic singer, a boisterous artist/producer, and one of the waviest producers in the game right now. You get thestand4rd— a experimental alt-rap quartet out of Minnesota that's making some of the smoothest music on Soundcloud right now. The group consists of Allan Kingdom, Psymun, Bobby Raps, and the internet sensation that is Spooky Black. Although the quartet is made up of incredibly unique individuals that cater to their respective niche genres that don't necessarily appeal to a mainstream audience, together as a group thestand4rd is able to entwine and synchronize their independent voice and sound into a flush, new wave-esque, contemporary sound that I personally feel appeals to the masses. On top of all that previously said, the band's self-titled body of work is consistent throughout and is eclectic to say the least.
thestand4rd's strongest attribute is hands down the group's chemistry. When four solo artists come together you usaully get some discrepancies, but with thestand4rd it is as if they were made to come together. For all my movie people out there what Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor are to The Avengers, Spooky Black, Allan Kingdom, Psymun, and Bobby Raps are to thestand4rd. For example, on "Too Involved," Black and Kingdom swap hooks for verses and ad lib for ad lib to make for a intoxicatingly captivating track that is Boiler Room set ready. Psymun and Doc Mckinney's production together are spellbinding; to put it best, they create some of the most dynamic soundscapes I have heard this year. "Tryna Fuk/ No Reply" transition from a bouncy, jazzy, track that borders between a contemporary 90's boom bap instrumental and a post-dubstep Jame Blake type beat to a lucid, down-tempo, beat that showcases Psymun's abilities as a producer.
Take my word, thestand4rd is a group to look out for in the months to come because the one thing that was holding these artists back as individuals were their appeal to a large scale audience, with thestand4rd that's not an issue. Check out what exactly I'm attesting to by streaming their debut project thestand4rd below.
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thestand4rd
'thestand4rd' [Album]
- 2014-11-04
