Monday, August 27, 2018

Conceptz makes a “Splash”



Conceptz makes a “Splash”
With a great deal of respect dished out to the old school pioneers who paved the way for them while also fronting their own concept, style and visually stimulating persona, Conceptz lives up to their name in the single “Splash,” providing us with a whole new look into the minds of the two skilled artists behind its creation. 

Conceptz have been making noise in the American hip-hop underground for nearly a decade, and their name has become synonymous with originality and the unselfish inventiveness that is now influencing a burgeoning generation of indie rappers. “Splash” is what their most loyal fans have come to expect from them; clear, concise lyrics that don’t mince words or rely on metaphors to make a statement. But in addition to that, there’s something decidedly different about “Splash” that sets it apart from all of their professionally released discography to date. “Splash” is a crossover into electronic pop that many of their closest rivals have pursued but almost universally come up short in achieving. “Splash” takes the band, and their appeal, and brings it into full-color realization.
For a little over twenty years now, the biggest rule in this game has been as follows: don’t step on anyone’s toes, but don’t be anyone’s kicking post, either. Conceptz skirts the line with this one, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “Splash,” to me, plays out and unfolds like a war cry aimed directly at the corporate figureheads the control the mainstream commercial flow of hip-hop. The underlying message is that Conceptz is here to stay, and not only will the industry cooperate with their masterplan, but they’re actually going to need to mold their structure around what Conceptz is seeking to create. It’s an intrepid threat, but it’s so desperately needed right now in hip-hop and pop music in general. 

For an era that has been supposedly dominated by artist-powered decisions and a collective agreement that major labels and corrupt promotors need to be downsized and cut out of the future direction of our music, this is one of the only times that I can endorse the way an artist has chosen to go about finding their independence.
Conceptz doesn’t have a big agenda in this thing, and there’s no sociopolitical ramifications hanging in the balance with their releases to create pressure on their artistic process. In many ways Highrowglyphfix & Short Fuze are living the rock n’ roll ethos in the most traditional sense imaginable. They’re living just for the music and its complete cultivation, and whatever they have to go through to get their mission accomplished, so be it. That’s what makes these guys so special, and moreover, “Splash” as significant as it really is. If anyone was confused about Conceptz place in the hierarchy of pop prior to now, this track should pretty much clear up any misconceptions. Conceptz is the top boss right now, and rather than trying to figure out how they climbed the latter so fast, I’d worry about trying to keep up with the pace they’re setting.
Joshua Beach

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