FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/StiLLGandSlapy/
Summer is finally upon us, and with its increased temperatures and boundless sunshine comes a seasonal soundtrack that is truly like no other. In “Endless,” the new single from THOMAS Music & Art’s Still G & Slapy, the critically acclaimed Italian rappers bang out a sporty summer hip-hop jam of the most erudite variety. Here, instrumentation is as important as the cadence of our vocalists’ collective flow, and though the spotlight is always focused on their elegant lyrical lashings, the mix favors the depth of their low-end tonality as much as it does their fiery linguistic abilities. This is hip-hop for a mature, discriminating generation of music fans, and it comes to us from a part of the world that has been long-associated with cutting edge artistry of every kind.
These beats are fantastically stylish, but they never spill into the realm overindulgence, which is something that I immediately noticed in my initial listening sessions with “Endless.” It’s a dramatic change from what I’ve been hearing in the Americas in the last couple of years, where it often feels like the excess of our contemporary rap icons rivals only that of 80’s hair metal bands, whose grandiosity ultimately caused their entire empire to implode by the time the 1990’s rolled around. Still G & Slapy have no interest in weighing down their music with a lot of needless ribbons and bows; the substance of “Endless” is strong enough on its own without the addition of such pedestrian embellishments.
SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/artist/5PRqDKx0pjos7Rul4cnPcQ
This master mix has a radio-ready finish if I’ve ever heard one, and it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who gives “Endless” a second glance this summer that the song has ascended as high as #10 on the Euro Indie Music Chart this year – which is no easy feat considering the vast market that the chart covers (over sixty countries and hundreds of radio stations in total). If Still G & Slapy can remain in steady rotation on American hip-hop stations over the summer, then I don’t think there will be any question as to whether or not they’ve got the necessary staying power that it takes to break new ground in this ever-evolving genre.
As has been the case with most all of the artists that I’ve heard in association with THOMAS Music & Art’s Genialsong Group, Still G & Slapy hit a homerun with this all-new single, which could be one of the smartest slices of hip-hop magic that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing in 2019. It’s got the framework of a classic slow jam with a sense of adventure that is only found in creatively progressive music (of any genre). These guys aren’t following anyone else’s path, nor are they playing by anyone else’s rules in “Endless” – Still G & Slapy are blazing their own trail, taking a page from the legacies of the American West Coast scene’s first generation, and if they add more music of this quality to their growing discography, I think they’re going to find themselves quite successful no matter what direction they go in next.
SHAZAM: www.shazam.com/track/468869412/endless
Clay Burton
The music of STILL G & SLAPY has been heard all over the world due to the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Records. Learn more – musikandfilm.com