Tight flows, bars, numbers. Three phrases to describe a confluence of talent and technical mastery make up BTMG Xino’s debut single, ‘Numbers’– a force to be reckoned with, because when I first listened to this song, it did not have the hallmarks of a debutant rapper; this song is 2 whole minutes of dense, rhyme-packed bars dished out one after the other, all laid on a bed of a catchy, loop-inducing beat.
The song starts off with a distinctive piano riff that immediately set the tone for the rest of the song. There is a ton of innovative production techniques going on here, playing off the simplicty of the piano riff. The percussion is quirky and unique with the sounds being used here to keep time- I hear a lot of vintage Yamaha DX7 percussive sounds in here. The percussive ensemble lends a no-nonsense approach to the beat, and is what makes the beat an absolute hit in my opinion.
Couple that with Xino’s tight flow, creative use of ad lib phrases and unconventional verses that steer off the path of the textbook 8-bar structure. There is a lot of Styles of Beyond influence I hear from the style of rapping, coupled, however, here, with a trap beat that lends the listener a whole new ear to this kind of music.
The mix on this song is, in one word, tight. It brings together the various instruments in the beat, as well as the vocals together. Xino retains remarkable tempo and the in-your-face, forward style of vocal mixing only serves to further bolster and accentuates that.
Overall, ‘Numbers’ by BTMG Xino is a fresh take on the genre-defining sound that we now know as West Coast rap. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to and reviewing this piece! Check ‘Numbers’ by BTMG Xino out here-
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
