(Photo By Sound Cloud)
“Microphone” (listen/download)
Time for some Hip-Hop from overseas. Meet Parallax. He’s a rapper/producer from London. He’s a fan of the ‘Golden Era” of the Hip-Hop culture and is looking to do his part to help revive it via substantial lyrics and the use of the infamous boom bap sound. Coupled with his knack for bringing passion and energy to his work, it is believed that the London spitter will set a whole new standard in the world of Hip-Hop.
At the moment he is on the brink of releasing his debut EP, Depth Perception. To showcase his skills as well as set the tone for the project, he is pushing a video for a track called “Microphone.” It is actually a remake of a single of the same name by Hip-Hop collective Slaughterhouse. The original production remains fully in tact. It’s a hot beat with a booming bass, modish secondary components, a fervent rhythm, and a wicked vibe. There is no hook present. Instead subtle vocals can be heard in the background repeating the song’s title every so often. Parallax excels with the extended verse. He exhibits a marked flow, ornate wordplay, and mint abstract rhymes. He definitely takes the record and makes it his own. Overall, this is a grade A rendition.
The video was done by Black Tooth TV. Rufus Pinkerton & Femi Ade-Davis worked as directors and Jake Armstrong provided editing services. There is no set concept for the visuals. Parallax just kind of posts up in different spots as he gives an invigorating performance of the prolonged verse. There are a few background items of interest within the piece like graffiti art, bike tricks, and looming brick architecture. The sparing special effects are pretty legit too. The video ends with a wild spinning shot as Parallax appears to smack the camera and then fades to final credits. All in all, this was a nifty viewing.
**My Two Cents: Parallax is a talented individual. I love his accent laced flow and his rhymes are unique. I think he did a great job of putting his own touch on “Microphone.” I am certainly open to hearing more from the UK native and will be keeping an ear out for his Depth Perception EP. It is highly recommended that readers set aside a few minutes to take in the video. -MinM
