Renowned south Londoner RAF - Saperra has done his East Coast Hip Hop homework and the results are in as he presents his Ep "5 Deadly Venomz". The EP which is out March 8th (Today) on Mass Appeal Records the Nasir "Nas" Jones backed label, shows Raf giving a masterclass on bridging the gap between Punjabi Folk music and that gritty East Coast Hip hop sound.
5 Deadly Venomz starts on a euphoric high as soon as you hear nostalgic Grisela Drum works on the first track "Rolling Thunder" assisted by Griselda heavyweight Conway The Machine the track marks Conway's first South Asian outing. The Machine delivered big time bringing back that cool yet deadly flow he started the rap game with, the track showcases a beautiful union between the two artists.
one could argue this should have been the lead track off the album but it's sure to garner much support during the summer as the track has that block feel where you want to blast it with the top down on a warm summer day.
"Hood Harvest", arguably the strongest track on the EP, shows Raf in his acclaimed mixtape form, however, Dave East steals the show as the Harlem MC reminds fans and Hip-Hop critics that he is more than nice in the booth. This is one of East's strongest outings in recent years easily. The bars are hitting home, he sounds clear and confident with East declaring that not many can rock with him in the booth.
After the effort on this track, no one can deny that East is one of the Hip Hop stars that deserves more flowers and room to shine.
Any song coming after "Hood Harvest" had its work cut out for it and yet this is where the brilliance of Raf and his team shines through. The team has an expert ear for music placing the previously released "Ranjha" a cinematic track where Raf glows but most importantly pulls the attention back to him and away from the two featured artists who showed up in Brillant A Game form.
"Venomz Boliyan" is a high-tempo track that showcases the UK connection but remains true to that East Coast Hip Hop and Folk Punjabi vibe just with the new school twist that Raf seems to be the master of.
"Off Ends" concludes the EP - it embodies the perfect summer party where all you want to do is start the EP over because you are trying to get that feeling of fresh nostalgia. With each listen it's delivered to you at the highest level.
The theme of the EP seems to be bridging the gap between cultures but most importantly Raf announcing to the world that Punjabi and Hip Hop were destined to meet. 5 Deadly Venomz has the right amount of nostalgia for you to feel like you've heard it before, but enough freshness for you to know it is something new, the EP is a brilliant 1st collaboration between Mass Appeal Records and Raf, and it is clear that attention to sound and track placement was key when crafting, this Ep.
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