Armed with a songwriting style that’s both imaginative and personal, Los Angeles rap veteran Ariano tackles the concept of love from a place few have ever considered. He’s doing more than rhyming about heartbreak and loss, because love extends to all parts of our life—and he explores every nook of it on his new EP, Love Is Not Lazy.

Ariano’s focus on the project became clear with the release of his compelling lead single, “Everything’s OK,” a searing and aggressive piece of social commentary that touches on a lack of love for your fellow-man. From there, he broached the subject of relationships on “Anymore” alongside his teenage son, Sage Price, who sings the hook. And the final leak, “The Rush,” questioned whether the love you have for someone is really there, or not—is it a dream or reality?

These tracks and the remainder of Love Is Not Lazy are propelled not only by Ariano’s intensely honest lyricism, but also his growing prominence as a producer. He creates instrumentals that run the gamut from raw and distorted “The Rush” to dreamy and dusty (“Breakthrough”), but he ties them all together with a singular vision.

Of course, fans of the SoCal Hip-Hop scene have recognized these talents for more than a decade. The rapper/producer has released a number of standout projects, including Music2Breakup2 in 2007 and this year’s fully instrumental Less Is More, Volume 1. Ariano has also worked alongside numerous L.A. icons, including DJ Rhettmatic, Akil of Jurassic 5, Murs and 2Mex, and Snoop Dogg, among many others. In 2016 alone, he produced and featured on tracks by Zion I, Pigeon John, and Daddy Grace (aka Born Allah).

Ariano’s done much of it alongside his musical partner LDontheCut (who DJs for Sublime with Rome), who skillfully handled all of the mixing and mastering on the seven track EP. In 2006, the two cemented their bond by founding a label, Technicali Sound, and releasing a collaborative record, A Thin Line. LINS also features smooth guitar work from Ian “ENS” Silverman and, as mentioned, Ariano’s son Sage Price, who shows up on two tracks.

All of this hard work over the years has fueled Ariano’s unmistakable passion and spirit. And it’s those qualities that also drive his tales about love, hate, and everything in between on Love Is Not Lazy.

Love Is Not Lazy is now available now through all major digital retailers and streaming outlets.

STREAM: Love Is Not Lazy – AudioMack • SoundCloud • Spotify • Tidal

BUY-LINKS: Love Is Not Lazy – iTunes • Amazon • Google Play

Tracklist:

01. Backyard

02. The Rush

03. Catch A Feeling

04. Anymore (feat. Sage Price)

05. Everything’s OK

06. The Love (Interlude)

07. Breath Through (feat. Sage Price)