In the Festival Marvin showcase we co-curated with NWLA last month we were a bit bummed because Monterrey MC CLXSTA‘s Spvce Problems – which include his fellows Zaheed Santana and Zhickleez – couldn’t make it. The three of them have been putting out joint songs sporadically on Soundcloud, and they sound so fresh it’s ridiculous. That’s why we’re thrilled to give you an exclusive download of their new track, “Hype.”
Produced by Tijuana beatmaker Taxi Dee, “Hype” sounds romantic at a first listen, with its slow tempo, soulful chords, and rich synth pads. But pay attention to the lyrics and it sounds more like a critique. “También fui a esos eventos/con mal sonido y contentos/si voy no pago el boleto, güey/hay sólo hate en el resto,” CLXSTA raps like he’s referring to a plastic scene where it’s all about the hype and glamour. It all gets a little more esoteric from there, especially on Zhickleez’s verses, dropping lines about pharaohs, planets, and religion. The R&B-like chorus proposes a simple solution to pretty much everything, which is to bring out the bottles and just drink and chat all night long. Sounds fine to us.
Photo by Cuauhtémoc Suárez