Sitting squarely at the intersection between old-school and new-school hip-hop, Archibald Slim is a rare breed of emcee that is ruthlessly poetic in his delivery. After a nearly 5 year hiatus following his separation from Father's Awful Records, Slim returned with singles "Til I Wake Up (feat. Father)" and "My Lucky Day" last year. "When The Light Hits" is his latest offering, a smooth and bass-heavy banger that announces his return and his forthcoming project due in late August.
Intention-driven and vindicated, Archibald Slim raps with a vengeance while still feeling disarmingly relaxed with his delivery. You get the feeling that his music is somehow simultaneously rebuking and embracing his demons; whether it be liquor, drugs, or an overall reckless lifestyle. Slim reminisces on the lessons learned over his years, lessons learned "the hard way" and the blessing of being alive long enough to learn them. With grainy VHS footage spliced together amid trainyards and abandoned streets, the accompanying visual conveys the theme of being displaced between a troubled past and a cloudy future.
Somewhere between the flows of Earl Sweatshirt and Vince Staples, Slim is the kind of rapper that just sounds effortless. Sounding like he could rap his daily chores over an Alchemist-type beat on YouTube and win a Grammy, there is innate talent there that just can't be taught or learned. As he prepares to release his upcoming project Fell Asleep Praying via POW Recordings on August 26, Slim should be a name to know for any ravenous underground hip-hop heads that aren't already familiar.
Connect with Archibald Slim: Instagram | Spotify | SoundCloud
