If you feel disillusioned with the path hip-hop has taken in the past few years, Matthew Reid is likely going to be your saviour. Hailing from Houston, the talented rapper and creative seeks to draw attention to last year’s ‘You Are Happy, Right?’, an old-school, boom-bap-esque album with a high degree of fierceness and meaningful lyricism. In fact, that’s where the record’s strength mainly lies: Reid balances hard-hitting instrumentals, punchy vocal delivery and personal, reflective bars.
It’s an honest offering; alongside seven earthy, retro-flavoured episodes, Matthew takes the listener along a series of nostalgic memories and haunted introspection, using rap as a cathartic tool to delve deeper into societal pressure and the struggles of everyday life. ‘This is…’ particularly catches our attention. Built on a dry, rolling beat, the track is steeped in g-funk and Houston realism, making for a piece that’s stark and gritty, yet quite metaphorical and catchy.
Deej D and Kooliedscope are the producers behind the album, which also features a collab with D-Cogito in ‘Cosmos’. Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘You Are Happy, Right?’, Reid explains: “This project is as personal as it gets—down to the cover art, a tribute to my late cat, Madi, whose passing set this journey in motion.”
Recommended! Discover ‘You Are Happy, Right?’ on Spotify:
