Sy ShacklefordSeattle-based hip-hop artists Ant Branch and Hella Maze of Flagrant Few have dropped several EPs and full-length albums over the past five years. “Cloudy”, their latest EP, is a four-track project. Musically, produced by Hella Maze, the EP draws from various sub-genres of hip-hop. Lyrically, it’s just Ant and Hella, with no guest appearances. Despite the EP’s brevity, both artists make the most of what they’ve allotted for themselves.
“Cloudy” appropriately begins with the “Realest In It”, which has a bit of a foggy distortion to vocals. The beat is certainly 808 trap-influenced with the bass and handclap snares. The lyrics are similarly influenced with the braggadocios swagger that both emcees rap with, as is the hook: “Don’t matter what they thank, big bank that’s my decision / Mix that with the drank, and here I’m super livin’” On “Cray”, the beat is also of trap origin, complete with a bass/piano mix as well as the aforementioned handclaps. The hook and lyrics revolve around hustling and the “gone ‘til November” theme.
Trap, guitar chords, horns, and chipmunk soul comprise the backdrop for “All It Takes”. The theme is perseverance and the grind both emcees underwent to get to where they are now. The closing song is “Run Up The Score”, where Hella raps about holding stacking his money as cryptocurrency instead of the usual stacks of cash. These lyrics are of note because they may be the first time a rapper co-signed digital money in their rhymes. The shortness of this album enabled and required multiple listens to conceptualize and articulate an accurate assessment of this project. So, in summation, the production (along with the lyrics) is derivative, as though it’s a throwback to the heyday of the trap scene from 20 years ago. Lastly, “Cloudy” is an appropriate title for the project: It’s not vague, it’s not unclear. Just indistinct.