EP Review: Vengeance Without Fear
Artist: Zay
Whats going on Vision and Vibe family?! We hope everyone is doing well. We are back with some fresh new music to showcase. The new EP presented is by a rapper by way of Greenville, SC. The artist Zay has dropped off his latest body of work titled "Vengeance WithOut Fear". The 7-track project features some abstract hip hop production and enough unique music to capture a new listener's attention. This isn't the rappers first musical project. Zay has a catalogue that stems back to 2017 with his first project titled "ZayEP". This helped get the young rapper some recognition in his hometown as well as Georgia. With this latest project, he's hoping to reach an even broader audience. Lets take a deep dive into the project and answer our number one question: Can he deliver?
The project starts off with a rather short track titled "Like the Carters". Featuring a banging 808 and vocals that sound slightly distorted. It definitely has a different sound which is what the Greenville rapper may be chasing. However, with much of the vocals sounding unclear it becomes a hard to listen to cut on the album. This is quickly saved by the follow up track titled "Ah Year" which is a much more polished production and a proper introduction to the project. The cut features some great lyrics that shows the rappers confidence and hunger for success.
You won't see the explosion when I'm at my highest / This is a memo if you see me silent
The track definitely serves as a highlight on the project overall and is highly recommended.
Additional highlights on the project include "Part of the Story". What's appreciated is the very sharp left turn on production. The music sounds like it can fit on as a hip hop, punk rock record. Although very different, Zay sounds awesome on the production and rides the beat well. Very clever punchlines used on the track such as "Want to give me your cookies, but those are crumbs to me". "Coast 2 Coast" is a great attempt at a breezy island type of track. With thumping drums, plunky synths and having the EP's only feature from BreanaMartin. Upon listen, its a recipe for a hit waiting to happen. The two artist's vocals fit nicely together and creating one of the more memorable tracks of the this EP.
Overall, this is a perfect example of an artist taking real risks on his project to create a body of work that isn't "samey" at all. Going track to track, you almost get different versions of Zay showing you just how versatile he is as a rapper and lyricist. We highly recommend this project for anyone hoping to discover a new artist thats worth listening to. Although there were a few missteps in our opinion (Like the Carters and Wonder come to mind), there are gems here that can't go ignored. Stream the entire project below and let us know what you think in the comment section below.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4XxeLF61t9UBtocnfi6Dnw?si=H1hS-UqbR5-U18tcL3kArw
