Blaque Keyz - Sing My Song — Music That Doesn't Suck Monthly

-Sing My Song-

I've listened to this track damn near a hundred times now. The past few dozen plays have started with the intention of breaking it down, but by the time the first chorus hits I'm lost in the groove and the story Blaque Keyz puts down, no matter how many times I've heard it. The Martin Mull quote that goes "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" is feeling really appropriate on this one, but we're gonna get down anyway.

*You know this is where those samples came from.*

Let's start with this beat. Shout out to Sneakybeanz who produced this one and many of the other tracks on HiestBoX! The sampled drum kit feels like something mic'd up in a garage. It's humble and has this nice little slap back delay for added thickness. The groove is swung hard and if you're not bobbing your head with every snare hit you might be dead inside.

The piano line is sparse in the verses leaving all the room for Keyz' lyrics. In the chorus it has a bit more movement filling in the space left with the percussion out and creating the verse / chorus contrast.

There's a lot of subtle ear candy in this track. Keep an ear out for the melotron choir, the clavinet riff, and the organ stabs. There's a lot of sound design elements as well, with the camera under "paparazzi canon flashes" and the snaps under "..finger snapping and attitude of a Talib", etc. These dudes found a really elegant balance with the elements in Sing My Song. The story comes first and the music and production perfectly serve to support it and never distracting from it

I don't typically get into lyrics in these reviews, and I'm not going to start now but to say that Keyz is a lyrical genius. The story and the message and the wordplay are so palpable and vivid on Sing My Song. Every verse is brain candy, and each listen reveals another nuance to it.

If you like where Blaque Keyz is coming from on this one, you should really take a week or two and live with HiestBoX! . The album is a masterpiece. With lyrics that slice straight through the heart, and grooves so infectious you'll be bumpin them a capella in the shower, this album easily makes my top 5 for 2016.

-If you dig this tune check out:

Blackstar, Open Mike Eagle, Homeboy Sandman, Isaiah Rashad, Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Sammus, Atmosphere, Common Market, Paco the G Train Bandit and Nickelus F

(all links go to youtube videos that stand as the best representation of the artist so you don't have to go hunting for music that doesn't suck)