LiveFromCedarGrove release “Off the Block”

Not many contemporary hip-hop tracks start off with as atmospheric an instrumental melody as Livefromcedargrove’s new single “Off the Block” does, but then again, no one ever said this game was about fitting in. A guitar’s gentle picking is all that we have to begin with in “Off the Block,” but as the track presses on, it becomes quite obvious that we’re listening to a rapper who doesn’t need a lot of frills in order to sound profound in his music – he merely needs some organic instrumentation atop which he can straddle a firm verse. This is Livefromcedargrove’s first single of 2020 and the official follow-up to his debut album, and it’s well worth the hype it’s attracting this summer and the months that led up to its release. 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/livefromcedargrove/?hl=en

Livefromcedargrove’s delivery in this track is very relaxed compared to what I originally thought I was going to be hearing in “Off the Block,” but his style definitely isn’t at odds with the flow of the melodies in the background at all. There’s an even complementary tone to all of the instrumental and lyrical elements in this song, and although I would say this is a bit more multilayered compositionally than it needed to be to get its point across, I think it shows off a lot of brawn on its creator’s part. He’s got a ton of swagger in his execution, and with what it’s doing for his overall accessibility here, he has all the more right to be confident. 

Though his attack is a little subtle, there’s an urgency sourced from the beat’s discordant relationship with the bass keeping us on the edge of our seats as we absorb Livefromcedargrove’s lyrical blows in “Off the Block.” He’s making sure that we aren’t getting emotionality from one channel alone in this piece; every detailed intricacy in the mix is giving us some sense of passion as we work through the grooves to the narrative, and that’s just not something that can be said of a lot of the singles bigger-name rappers are dropping this August. This guy has genuine talent, and he’s applying it in all the right ways as to keep his artistic goals not only prioritized but obvious for the entire world to appreciate in his music. 

BOOMPLAY: https://player.boomplaymusic.com/albums/14704827

If this is just a preview of what Livefromcedargrove is going to be giving us on a regular basis from here on out, “Off the Block” definitely won’t be the last hit he adds to his discography. He’s getting a lot of attention in the wake of W.C.M., his rookie effort released just last year, and I really like how he’s chosen to handle it in this official follow-up. There are a lot of rappers that wouldn’t be handling the spotlight quite as well as he is, and for the most part, I think that’s partly why he’s been able to remain as focused on the work as he has. This is a complicated medium, and it takes complicated souls like Livefromcedargrove to help us enjoy it to the fullest. 

Mindy McCall

The music of LIVEFROMCEDARGROVE has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division.  Learn more https://musikandfilm.com