There's a whole lot of talk lately about whether or not hip-hop is still hip-hop. For the majority of people who only witness the surface level releases, it may be. But for those who still dig for those songs that create a taste, the genre lives on, evolving everyday. A part of that evolution is Dae Zhen, Los Angeles rapper extraordinaire. His new track "Korean Jazz" is a prime example of how words can become part of the production in seamless fashion.
Dae's new jam is produced by Mike Derenzo, who went absolutely nuts on the percussion. It's rare to hear this kind of "drumline" beat in hip-hop lately, since the transition has gone to more of an ambient, drowned out trend. The voice melds perfectly syllable to syllable, which I see as one of the true arts behind rap music. Writing syllable to syllable is extremely complex, and Dae pulls off one incredible showcase of lyricism.
For a free download of Dae Zhen's previous project Women & Wordplay, check out his artist website here. If that's not enough free music for you, grab "Korean Jazz" below, courtesy of the artist himself.
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