Sy ShacklefordHeno. and Mad Keys. Takoma Park, MD-raised emcee teams with STL-raised multi-instrumentalist producer. Together from this union was born “Healing Out Loud”, an album that’s as much of a soul search as it is an exorcism of inner demons. Not only that, but it’s in full view of all within range. What took me by surprised was Heno’s rhyme style. His consistent usage of compound rhymes is uncommon for hip-hop artists in the DMV and shares more in common with east coast and Midwest lyricism. Mad Keys blends live instruments into his productions, often resulting in jazz soundscapes which, for the most part, Heno was able to ride proficiently. In a sense, this LP is a concept album as Heno’s rhymes put him up as a journeyman on the road to self-knowledge. On the opening song “Fall Back”, Heno’s insight and wordplay shine through. Piano and jazzy drums solidify their presence as Heno waxes on the phenomena of having many contacts in one’s phone, most of whom the owner of the phone has met only once and doesn’t know.
Heno sings his own hooks in addition to rapping. On “Get Me There”, he rhymes “who’d have thought healing could to turn to a flex / What I reveal past the surface is depth”. For the most part, the lyrics are part narrative, and part trash-talking. “Abundant Life” has Mad Keys providing a crisp atmospheric backdrop as Heno admits that he “wears these scars with pride / to see my stars align / Settling for less is where I draw the line”. Heno also demonstrates a faculty for extended metaphor. On the nimble “Lemons Made Better”, he uses garden metaphors to describe the fresh quality of his rhyme. Though the advances in the music industry have made it possible to release many albums more frequently, Heno lets listeners know why his lemonade brings everyone to the yard, so to speak:
The production on “Growing Pains” is both surreal and reminiscent of an arcade video game music score with marching band-like snares laid on top. The lyrics also denote Heno’s self-awareness about his music not being as accessible to some. “I Thought I Told You” starts with bleak production and double-time lyrics, then slows down halfway while Heno still manage to stay on beat. The airy and danceable “Easier Said Than Done” speaks to the difficulties of self-improvement. The sole guest rapper on this project is New Jersey emcee MoRuf who lends his own take on self-growth. For “Busy and Blessed”, Heno still holds a chip on his shoulder over those who doubted his ability to succeed and it’s a theme that peeks its head in on several songs.
Lastly are “Big Difference” and “Triple H”. For the former, his flow is syrupy and seemingly effortless. The latter has a grittiness to the production not seen in the previous tracks. Though the title references the professional wrestler of the same name, Heno flips the reference to mean “happy, healthy, and healing.” With “Healing Out Loud”, this was my first exposure to Heno and Mad Keys. For the production, it’s polished which is largely attributed to the skilled incorporation of instruments. It’s no question that Heno’s got lyrical chops in regard to voice, flow and pen game. For the latter, there’s potential for further expansion.