(Photo By Band Camp)
Rice Meets Iron Rose – Volume 1 (listen/download)
Rice Master Yen is a producer from Berlin, Germany. He was previously featured on the site with California rapper RoQ’y TyRaiD. The feature got such great feedback that Yen decided to share two more projects with the site. First up is another collab piece. This collaboration features an artist by the name of Curtis The Great. It’s an EP and titled Rice Meets Iron Rose – Volume 1. The EP contains five brief tracks. Each track has a distinct title and sound. A standout cut would be a song called “Home Invasions.” Sonically it boasts a Jazz meets Hip-Hop type of feel. There is steady bass and a lot of different instruments at work. The content is on point too. Curtis The Great has an expertly matched flow and good lyrics. All in all, it’s a really dope number. Readers should be sure to lend an ear to the other four tracks as well. Yen and Curtis have a nice chemistry going on.
(Photo By Band Camp)
The Price of Rice – Volume 1 (preview/purchase)
The second item that Yen shared is a beat EP. The EP has been dubbed The Price of Rice – Volume 1. It includes 12 total tracks with eccentric titles and styles. The collection of beats has a wide range. Some of them are more low key with a pure Hip-Hop tone while others are more delicate and may be better suited for alternative genres of music. A few noteworthy cuts are: “Wild Rice,” “Caramel Rice Pudding,” and “Solid Snake.” Overall, this is a quality beat tape. It is very diverse and has a little something for all tastes. Readers and artists alike should give The Price of Rice – Volume 1 an ear and maybe even purchase a selection or two. It would be interesting to hear some rhymes, melodies, etc; put to these tracks.
**My Two Cents: I think Rice Master Yen has a one of a kind style. His material definitely does not sound like anything else that’s out. At least not here in the US. But that’s a good thing. The music industry needs more originality and creativity. Everything sounds the same or is heavily sampled and it gets old after a while. So props to Yen for doing his thing and for sharing with the site. Much love to Germany! -MinM
