2K19 REVIEWED: $ECOND NATURE – DRIP OR BE DROPPED

Three piece rap group $econd Nature have a wonderfully natural chemistry, MC’s Cam Kron and Chew trading bars over the latter’s thunderous beat on the self titled opener to their debut EP Drip Or Be Dropped in order to kick things off with a sinister underworld anthem. ‘9,000’ takes anime tropes to the next level, Cam’s lyrics manic and hilariously hyperbolic, Chew’s beats both noisy and minimal. The latter is not to be underrated as a rapper either, he plunges fearlessly into the haunting limbo of ‘No Gods//No Kings’ and emerges triumphant.

One of the most impressive elements of the group’s anthemic sound is how efficiently it harks back to the golden age of the underground. The weirder, more eccentric acts that dominated the scene in the early half of this decade are reanimated here, although this homage is probably unintentional (the rappers don’t intentionally imitate anybody as their styles are far too distinctive for that), it’s a tried and tested formula that results in distorted, bone-crushing beats classics that implement that gravel-voiced Chew’s beats as well as those of third member Yatski.

Yatski seems to be the most melodically-aspiring member of the trio, his work on ‘Nike//Decade’ morphs from pretty to nightmarish incredibly quickly. Doom-laden, this song proves to be the greatest effort on the EP thanks to Cam’s grimey, blood-spattered tale and Chew’s viscous, bestial rage. ‘Marionette’ ties these themes together, the pirouetting horror keys a skeletal framework for the breakneck flows and morbid, depressive sentiments. As an artistic statement, Drip Or Be Dropped is a killer debut, starring two incredible artists dueling magnificently over homegrown, foreboding production.

Listen to the EP here.