“Regeneration” will make you feel and it will make you think.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve come into contact with the stigma that surrounds rap music.
There’s this idea floating around that rap itself is about hoes, money, and ego. Fortunately, that idea is false. Just like not all rock is about drugs and sex and not all country is about about beer and tractors, rap is not inherently about anything.
It’s what’s put into the music that makes it what it is. As a former rap-skeptic, it was only by chance that I was introduced to Watson. I reluctantly gave his music a listen. Surprisingly, I heard very little of anything I expected from a rap EP.
“Regeneration”, Watson’s debut EP, broke away from the rap stereotype I had in my head in several ways.
The first thing I noticed was the mix of traditional rap instrumental work with heavy pop/electronic influence. It kept me listening.
Before I knew it, I had completed the entire EP in a single sitting.
I wanted more!
What stood out to me the most about “Regeneration” was Watson’s autobiographical and philosophical lyrics. In the EP’s namesake song,
“Regeneration”, Watson stated his musical mission toward
Looking around at my peers, I have to agree with this necessity.
My peers seem to be slowly losing the ability to complete manual tasks such as cooking, walking, findingI food, and looking up from their phones.
Other relevant themes came into play that kept me thinking, such as recovery from addiction, modern ideals of beauty, forgiveness, and the value of supporting other people.
When I finally turned “Regeneration” off, I felt like a better man. I felt inspired to get up and do something for someone.
On the sound alone, I expect “Regeneration” would appeal to fans of Seattle hip-hop, Macklemore, and philosophy/psychology in general.
There is a good mix of energetic workout-style music such as the song “Words are Bullets” and slower, deep-thinking tracks like “Father, O Father”.
I can guarantee only one thing to new listeners: “Regeneration” will make you feel and it will make you think.
Chancy Johnson
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CHANCY JOHNSON
brings artists
Out of the Woodwork