Premiere: Forest rides around with his "Top Down"

Forest is a budding rapper/singer from Compton, who is looking to make a name for himself thanks to his unique blend of hip-hop and r&b. After a series of unfortunate events brought his promising football career to a premature end, the young artist has found an outlet for his voice and thoughts in his music. One would assumed that his songs would be filled with aggression and hostility due to his fateful past; however, he or she could not be further from the truth.

While Forest is still working on his debut project, entitled UNDRWATER, he decided to give fans a taste of what they can expect when it arrives, with the release of a loose track "Top Down" produced by AC. Aptly titled, the track feels like cruising through the city with the roof missing and enjoying the fresh air. It is a mellow song that has all of the workings of a good summery record to be played at the oncoming barbecues or family events.

On "Top Down," Forest serenades a woman over some soulfully sampled strings—reminiscent of the guitars Sounwave used on Kendrick Lamar's "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe." His attempts to win her over revolve around having a good, relaxing day smoking, drinking, and driving through the city. He doesn't attempt to do too much on the track, losing you in his vocal gymnastics or riffing for minutes on end; rather, he creates an infectious vibe that anyone could enjoy quickly. The chorus is where he really shines, letting loose some of his range during the bridge.

"Top Down" is an impressive introduction from an artist who shows a lot of promise. Forest has proved that UNDRWATER is worth the wait. Check out "Top Down" above and head to his soundcloud for more good music.

• Forest on Soundcloud 
• Forest on Instagram
• Forest on Twitter