Life in Element By Musicbyko

With smooth grooves and edgy rhymes, Musicbyko delivers a unique approach to modern hip-hop. With his new album, Life in Element, Musicbyko demonstrates his ability to write catchy, relevant music which entertains and challenges his listeners. This twelve song LP, mixes fast freestyle rap, with smooth, elegant lyricism coupled with deliberate and finely tuned beats which satisfy the demands of the club going hip-hop fans. “Judgement Day” is an example of this smooth groove-heavy track which focuses on Musicbyko’s ability to self-harmonize and catch the downbeat on this syncopated rhythm.

The ups and downs in the vocals create a track full of swagger and rhythm while focusing on real social issues, “Before seven o’clock, I’m a star when they get dark, I’ve seen them shoot up the block, you got nerve, I put in work”. In comparison, “Empathy” carries on this swing groove, yet showcases the ability to double-time rap over a melodic rhythm, “In reality, I’m just another king in disguise, just another victim of statistics of the system.”

Life in Element is a well-mixed, professional LP, complete with a deep bass groove which makes an excellent addition to any DJ playlist. The frequencies on Life in Element are separated to produce a clear distinction between samples and provides enough headroom to be played back distortion-free at high volumes. With its pop sensibilities in place, this album top singles would appeal to any urban radio format, due to its replayable beats and infectious rhymes, the catchy harmonies appeal to a wide audience even outside the urban genre.

Tracks, like the aforementioned, “Judgement Day” and Empathy” along with “Avrage Fella” and “Good Day” show the power of indie hip-hop coming out of California, this major label sound from indie artists provide validation that art will overcome, and artists still have much today about the world around them. Overall, an enjoyable LP, which is a required addition to any audiophile collection.