Orlando, Florida’s Clane Matthew is ready to prove he is the hottest new act coming out of the New South. The conscious rhymer has a message he is eager to deliver to the masses that praises the vintage era of Hip Hop built on not how you sound but what you say on the mic. Authentic, proud, and determined, Matthew arrives with his formal introduction on the new EP, entitled, On The Real.
A prelude to the forthcoming main course. One of the songs from the EP, “The Unspoken Word,” has gone viral internationally. The song discusses the social implications of being a black man in the United States, and the impact it has on both a physical and psychological level. It has reached three different continents and several different countries, including Nigeria, Gabon and South Africa. Accumulating over 100,000 views, 700 shares and more than 1000 likes. For Clane Matthew, the project is about making a difference. However, Does he get his point across is the question?
Stream On The Real by Clane Matthew, courtesy of Spotify.
The project’s production creates a custom nostalgia of worldly sounds that cannot be denied. Knowledgable is the best way to describe the patterns involved to develop the identifiable sound of Clane Matthew as an artist. Integrating various sounds from across the world, Matthew does display his traditional Hip Hop roots on the project with familiar boom bap to help anchor his lyrical technique.
A student of the game, it’s often shown that Matthew is still learning how to formulate his flow on the track. Aware he studied the game closely, on the project, he is consistently found gimmicking more than adapting from his studies on the experimental wordplay. Constantly reminding us of artists before him that have similar punchlines, metaphors, and analogies in their songs. However, we all understand self-development is a never-ending process.
By the end, it’s clear to see that Matthew’s is on the righteous path and commended for it but he surely has a long way to go with more self-development. Due to the lack of clarity throughout the project, we are left with more questions than answers about the rising star and his crusade. Sure the material delivers substance, originality, and awareness; however, informative, Matthew often forgets the number-one purpose of the track, to entertain. On the next outing, we request more showmanship from the up-and-coming prospect.
Ranking: 7/10
Highlight: Production
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