After Much Anticipation, Atlanta Native Grip Delivers His Cinematic New Project
Hip-Hop, and music in general, is full of subjectivity and fueled by perspective. What I may think is the best shit ever, may just sound like a bunch of machine noises and funky melodies to you — cough cough, Yeezus. Despite this, one thing that isn’t subjective, is just how hard and effective a cinematic, storytelling album can be. Evidenced by classics like Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, Ready To Die and more, albums that double as full-length stories are what make good rappers, legends. Looking to sketch his name next to the greats, Atlanta rapper Grip delivers his incredible debut album, Snubnose.
Instantly, the most charming quality about Snubnose is it’s sheer honesty and raw emotion. Starting off with the angelic first half of, “I Am…He Is,” Grip recites motivational lyrics over a easy-going choir sample, right before veering off into pure chaos — where most of the project lives from this point on. On the second half of the intro, the whole vibe changes. Immediately, it sounds like the Atlanta native is getting into a sonic car crash, punctuated by eerie melodic direction, total paranoia and a revealing set of initial lyrics that give you an idea of where the albums going. “Young nigga, but I pack a big punch… yeah, six of ‘em,” raps Grip, creatively taking the perspective of a Snub-nosed .38 Revolver — right before ending the song with the sound of a young boy saying, “Aye, y’all niggas wanna see where my Uncle keep his gun?” which is also how he ends the project.
From there, he spends a whole record on, “Snub Speaks” rapping from that perspective, essentially giving a lesson on it’s power, right before going into perhaps the most impressive track on the project, “Finessin’.” Now, it’s easy to call, “Finessin’” a favorite, due to the high-profile feature from Mick Jenkins. While, that would be semi-correct, it wouldn’t be for the immediate reason that pops into your head. “Finessin’” stands alone — to me — because of the fact that Grip not only holds his own with one of Hip-Hop’s best lyricists, he by far ends up with the best moments. In a world where a co-signs are more than enough for an album listen, Grip stepping inside the ring and going toe to toe with Mick and coming out victorious could be his sign of arrival. Either way, that record is fucking nuts.
Other standout songs from the project include, “Pressed,” a more up-tempo record that still sees Grip rapping about his struggles — “Mama dealing with depression. I know cause I deal with it daily, still I kill it in the session,” — albeit with a bit more of a positive and motivational perspective behind it, and “Bishop Speaks… Matter,” the high-octane lyrical affair that features a ridiculous guest verse from buzzing L.A. rapper, ICECOLDBISHOP.
Press play on the project — which is one of the best to drop this year — below and get familiar with Atlanta’s newest export.
