Cloak The Scribe is a Chicago based hip hop artist, who has been releasing music since 2008 and boasts an impressive amount of independent buzz on Spotify. He took to Instagram in July, to announce his latest project, “A Little Music While You Wait“, available on all streaming platforms. The 7-track EP features Rav O, Cam Quotes, MrRobotic and Delon Music.
From the very first track, “Chicago on My Mind”, the lyricist and song writer sets the scene and looks to place us in 90’s Chicago – “Polo on, Dickies jeans” and Timberlands Chicago. This was definitely a stand out track for me. The production is very, very Chi-Town. Classy samples and instrumental licks to complement a boom bap style drum beat. Topped off with some truthful bars from the Windy City native, and some sultry vocals from Rav O. This is followed up with some more 90’s vibes and a dope feature from Cam Quotes, on “Wormhole”.
The rest of the EP takes on a more modern feel with trap heaters like “Yo”. For me, this was where Cloak had really settled into his flow. In my first listen, I actually noted down “dope flow switch in last verse”. On listening again, that statement still stands. I felt let down by “Go Hard” but not because of Cloak. I think that this was his best performance in terms of flow and cadence. The song preceded “Yo” and so fit kind of perfectly. But the production let it down for me. It lacked the depth that the song deserved. The bright side is that we really get to hear the man spit! But I was kind of left wanting a little more from it. “About Us” gave me the same vibes. Huge potential in this, but honestly, it felt kind of rushed. Great hook, slick flow, but let down by the production once again.
Overall, the EP is decently cohesive and even despite my qualms about some of the production, it works. This is the kind of project that can foreshadow big things for an aspiring artist. The Spotify and Soundcloud reception, alone, tell us that much. Cloak puts on a good performance, and enlists some well thought out features for the assist. But the project does seem to sort of fizzle out, for me, after the half way point. But like I said, this is not necessarily at the fault of Cloak. The man still spits bars and if that isn’t why you listen, then you’re probably not a real rap fan. Still, production choice is pretty important. That being said, I am checking to hear how Cloak The Scribe progresses in his next record. Follow him on Instagram @cloakthescribe.
Rating: 5/10
