North Carolina Rapper, Paragon Don Showcases Impressive Lyrical Ability On, ‘Last Year Local’

I can’t speak much for other genres, but when it comes to Hip-Hop, the stigma of being labeled as, “local,” is something close to a death blow, based on connotation. While there’s nothing actually wrong with making a living as a local artist, Rap is competitive, and you want to be able to say that you’re, at the very least, on par with your idols — if not surpassing them. Taking this notion and doubling down on the work, North Carolina rapper, Paragon Don drops off his engaging new album, Last Year Local, an ode to shedding this confusing surname.

Comprised of 12-tracks, Last Year Local is a lyrically dense affair that sees Don completely blacking out over jazzy, soul-sample heavy beats that perfectly compliment every syllable and rhyme he delivers. With this project being my introduction to the Winston Salem native, I was pleasantly surprised with how poised and in pocket he was with his cadences. That’s not to say I was expecting for him to suck, I just wasn’t expecting for somebody to sound so polished on their debut.

Some of the tracks that standout on the project are, “The Flame,” one of the more melodic highlights that sounds like it could’ve been from the Cam’ron, “Oh Boy,” days, “Jupiter Jazz,” which features the best beat on the album and, “Last Year Local,” the declarative single that ties the whole theme of the project together. Take a listen to, Last Year Local below and get familiar with Paragon Don.