Rome Mallory returns triumphantly on There’z Only a Few of Uz Left, an all too brief EP that highlights the rapper’s immense talent on the mic as well as his elite production choices.
The opening lyrics to TOAFOUL speak volumes: ‘Shawty wylin’, said I’m thirty plus rhyming. How you be denying saying music that’s inspiring?’ Mallory’s disdecrimissal of his decriers on ‘Make Sure the Family Good’ is the beginning of an insane rap performance in which he announces a desire to ‘break generational curses’ while also stating ‘fuck your validation’. Mallory is a self-made artist with a clear goal in mind, he’s going to make incredible music while also making sure that his family are living well. ‘Wanna be the best father, not the best rapper’ is the most telling line in the whole song, the beat slowing all the way down to accompany the rapper’s final stretch of bars.
The production is definitely worth talking about, too. Things get significantly more sinister on ‘Dark Summer’, an anthem for those at the bottom by someone climbing his way out. It’s the shortest song on the EP, featuring nothing but venomous raps for a minute and a half with no hook or anything anchoring it to conventional song structure. A bold choice for the second track after such a grandiose, elongated intro. ‘Off to the Races’ is next, sampling the Lana Del Rey song of the same name for a cautionary tale about dealing and hustling. There’s no glamorisation here, only vicious delivery and pain-filled lyrics.
‘We’re Living Single’ is the smoothest joint here. The production reminds me of something Pete Rock would have cooked up back in the day, and Mallory is a great fit for this moody sex jam. The introduction of the EP’s first guest vocalist Naj is a welcome change of peace, adding a lot to the sultry dynamic of the track. The closer here is totally different in tone, more of a mission statement with its lyrics about holistic medicine and gentrification. DLuHall, the second guest on the EP, offers a spoken word piece that sounds nothing short of inspiring over the gorgeously melodic production. Another bold choice for such a short EP, but one that is greatly appreciated.
This collection of songs was a real treat, and it makes me happy to know that this is but a taste of what Mallory has in store for us with his upcoming album Protect Your Inner Peace. The EP truly lives up to its name, presenting us with the vision of a man who feels like one of the last of a dying breed, and nothing short of a visionary in contemporary rap music.
Listen to the EP below.
Follow Mallory on Twitter.
– Chris (@108seraph)
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