Mr Streetz – Evolution
Mr Streetz – Evolution – EP Review
By now, y’all know the name…or at the very least, you should.
Mr Streetz back up in the heeeeeeezy and on our pages once again. We’ve spent the past month or so checking out this dude’s music from his debut record Flowtime, to his upcoming album Wins & Bosses coming out on the 24th of February – and now we’re hittin’ up an EP that was released in between there, called Evolution. Because why not yo? This dude’s got solid jams and he’s been stellar to listen to.
Though I’ll admit – Evolution took a minute to sink in completely. When I first gave it a spin, and I heard “Born This Way,” I’d be the first to tell ya that I wasn’t nearly as sure about this track as I was when I was listening to the way either of his two full records opened. That being said, I did eventually come around and it didn’t take all that much more than a couple of subsequent spins later on down the road – but this is why I always preach the importance of doing that to begin with. So many critics judge stuff off of one spin and write puff pieces, and too many listeners out there decide they think they know what’s up from a solitary spin…and c’mon y’all…no matter who you’re listening to, chances are their efforts deserve more than that. As I’ve pointed out several times over these years I’ve been writing, even the best bands and artists on our playlists can drop something new and throw your ears off – sometimes you gotta let the material work its magic for you to wrap your mind around the full scope of it all. Which was the case for me and “Born This Way” – it’s probably still fair to say that it’s not quite the caliber of the two title-tracks that start up his official records, but it’s still a damn good tune that shows the epic storytelling of Mr Streetz in a more humbly revealing way than he gives himself credit for. “It’s arrogance – I reek of it,” he says – and I get where he’s coming from…this whole persona of Mr Streetz is seriously larger than life, and it’d be impossible to ignore the fact he’s in boss-mode 24/7. “The aura’s strong enough to taste” – he ain’t lying. It’d be hard to say that a little ego wouldn’t be justified given the level of skill that Mr Streetz crafts a cut with overall, but at the same time, I think he still really gets that on the inside of his first year as a professional artist…no matter how much you think you know, there’s always another level to reach…there’s always Evolution to be found if you’re doing things right.
The reality is, there’s a ton of times where an artist or band we love is ahead of the game, and in the process of creating something new, they shoot beyond what we’re actually ready for…that’s why a couple more spins are usually required to completely get something. Like, when “Nature Or Nurture” started up, I had pretty much the same reaction to it as I did with “Born This Way” on that initial spin through the record. I instantly started to wonder if what Mr Streetz was creating was beyond my own capacity – were these hooks going to work? Sometimes you just have to go down the rabbit hole a bit further than you think you’re going to be comfortable with to see what’s really in there. By about the fifth time I put on Evolution over the course of this week, all of a sudden, it’s like the light comes on, and here I am, practically addicted to the savage bounce that it has, and can recite the hooks word for word. So yes…sometimes it just requires a bit of trust with the artists & bands we love – I can tell you this very situation has happened to me countless times…a new record comes out from someone I dig, and then on that first time I spin it, I’m like, nah – that ain’t it. A week later, I’m fiendin’ for it like junkie yo. It happens! Do I like tracks like “Flowtime” that immediately come out with undeniably accessible sound more? Honestly…yeah…probably – but I don’t shy away from songs that take a minute to earn my love. “Nature Or Nurture” is one of those next-level combinations that you really have to give Mr Streetz credit for…that hook is insanely badass when it comes right down to it…give it a minute to fully sink in.
Something like “Musical Journey” starts shifting the album into more naturally accessible terrain, and chances are, many of you out there will be able to directly to what Mr Streetz is rappin’ about if you’ve got roots in the genre. Detailin’ his journey into Rap/Hip-Hop and name-checkin’ the influences he’s encountered along the way as he started to write and record, essentially, you’ve got the blueprint for how Mr Streetz became the artist he is now today, and who he looked up to along the way. He’s now “makin’ more bangers than Jada Kiss” – which…I mean…hell, I’d hope so! Don’t get me wrong, he’s a well-known name and all, but still an unusual target for the man behind the mic…perhaps poor Jada ended up being the unfortunate victim of the rhyme-scheme, or maybe Mr Streetz decided to take a shot at him on purpose and designed the whole hook to reach that point of calling him out…honestly, I don’t know for sure. Jada’s not on my radar for the most part…maybe he’s bigger over there in the UK where Mr Streetz is based out of than he’s ever been here in Canada, it’s hard to say what inspired this verbal attack, or verbal facts…whichever you consider it to be. As I always remind ya, all I can really tell you about is what sounds good – “Musical Journey” gives you a lot of insight into the path that Mr Streetz took to get to the studio and where he is today, the sound is a ton more accessible on those first couple spins than the previous two tracks were as well…I’d say this cut is an instant green light for most.
“Worldwide” sure sounds good to me. There’s no doubt whatsoever that I have been stuck inside for way too long at this point, and I’m socially maladjusted. Consequence of being pinned to this computer all day long spinning everyone’s tunes over here and trying to keep this strange corner of the internet afloat over this past decade. Anyhow. Mr Streetz is getting out there, “Worldwide,” and it sounds like it’s freakin’ fantastic! Everything I’ve read about in the travel brochures and more. Maybe one of these days I’ll see the sunlight again…but I try not to bless this world with my presence for too long, lest they begin to demand it on the regular. Hittin’ up Mexico in less than two months though…so I suppose there’s that. A couple weeks in the sunshine before I lock myself away for another year, glued to my headphones in the dark where I genuinely belong. So it would seem that we’re opposites in that respect Mr Streetz…this dude clearly has the travel bug and he makes a good case for why you’d want to catch that too. Honestly, while I might never hit more than few different countries on the map before my time on this planet is over, I get what Mr Streetz is preachin’ here…ultimately “Worldwide” speaks on behalf of “culture seeking” and knowing that by expanding your horizons, you’re literally expanding your horizons – you following? Our main man makes an enticing case for booking a bunch of flights and going from one side of the map to the other, hitting up the nightlife and party spots…I know many of you out there will definitely relate to Mr Streetz and what he’s written about how travel adds to your character and gives you more perspective on the world…I ain’t saying he’s wrong when he’s right as far as I know. No major complaints here…I think he’s punching syllables a bit on the hard side towards the end in the final verse and that he’s gotta watch that the hooks find that same level of natural flow & fluidity he always seems to achieve in his verses. To be fair to the guy though, “Worldwide” ain’t an easy track to lay down…it’s a real piece of writing that shows the thought that Mr Streetz puts into his lyricism when you consider how many different places from the map he’s managed to add into this particular track; it’s a challenging way of creating something unique in a song, and overall he’s done a great job with all that.
If we’re talkin’ about the CRÈME de la CRÈME though y’all…it’s “Golden Age” and there’s pretty much no argument to be made against that being the conclusion. Lots of solid moments along the way to reach this final destination and last track, but there ain’t nothing that rivals “Golden Age” on this EP if I’m being honest with ya Mr Streetz. At the very least, not in terms of universal accessibility…”Golden Age” has the kind of sound, energy, and spirit that is guaranteed to get people turning this cut straight UP. The rest of this EP is going to appeal to this person for that track, and this other person for a different track, but “Golden Age” is the kind of song we hear where every set of ears would agree on its awesomeness. Hence, universal – you get it. With the music & beat of this track, it was key that Mr Streetz found a way to live up to the jazzy vibes & catchiness of this cut – and he absolutely nailed it. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t need words from me to support it – we’ll all hear this track the same way, start nodding our heads to the beat, or poppin’ & lockin’ right where you stand…and completely know why you feel the way that you do. Hearing great melody & a huge beat jam together as well as this does, with a main star of the show that swings big with his performance and keeps on crackin’ the bat, combined with some of the best lyricism from Mr Streetz and a really smart recording with its backing layers & whatnot…I mean…this is a fucking TREAT y’all – your ears will thank you for listening to “Golden Age” and that’s facts. It’s fun, it’s soulful, it’s undeniably addictive, and it’s the perfect ending that’ll serve brilliantly to get the people out there rushing to repeat their way through this EP again and again. And the more you do, the more that you’ll love what you discover…because that’s how Evolution works.
Find out more about Mr Streetz from his official website at: https://mrstreetz.com
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