Bones is a member of the SHWB (Sesh Hollow Water Boyz) collective: an associated group of underground rappers and producers with inspiration that arises through primarily southern roots, but these rappers have found a musical homestead on the internet. Bones’ Soundcloud page boasts a whopping 144k followers at the time of this review, an astounding number given the niche quality of Bones’ art and complete absence of any major label. Bones, and the SHWB collective, have built their fanbase from the ground up, using their internet notoriety as their primary means of self promotion. Bones has recently released a mixtape/ep titled “HermitOfEastGrandRiver,” click on the title to check out his newer work.

On the EP titled “Banshee,” which came out earlier in September of 2015, Bones’ dark self-explorations take a creative approach to his consistent style of musical output, donning a more subversive, ethereal aesthetic in his brief songs. The songs on the mixtape are individually about 2 minutes in length, a factor which creates a tight sound and a complete effect without meandering through pointless verse after verse or ending abruptly without listener satisfaction. In an interview, Bones’ explains that his short, one verse tracks are because he is isn’t getting paid, so he’s not going to give it his all just yet. However, I believe this is conscious decision by Bones, as he releases all of his tracks for free download on his Soundcloud. I attribute these short songs as a means to tease the listener, a way to give audiophiles a brief taste so they want more of Th@ Kid (another pseudonym of the artist known as Bones).

“Banshee” begins with a haunting sample and a playful hi-hat from producer FrozenGangBeatz. The vocals peter in as Bones starts on the track with a faint, resonant auto-tuned hook that repeats “Tell me what the fuck who… which?” as the bass strikes hard in the background. Bones’ minimalist approach to vocals doesn’t limit his verses, rather, his quick verse molds into a personal poetry that seems ripped from the transcript of Bones’ internal dialogue. Listeners and fanatics catch up with Bones in his verse as clears his mind state in rhyme, rapping “Smokin’, just the right amount/ I swear to god I’m floatin.” Bones, instead of rhyming in the dry aabbcc, takes his rhyme and places them at the start of lines to create a defiant, concrete sound. Bones rhymes each verse as if it was his mantra, stating “Focus, never off my shit/ Never showin’ signs of slowin’/ Chosen, never asked for shit/ But of course not everyone know me.” Bones ends the lasts thirty seconds of the song with a disturbingly realistic image of the rap game, one that might be faintly understood by listeners due to the faintness of the volume, as he describes:

Smokin’ all the time, the money ain’t there/ People get gold, but the money ain’t there/ All of my time, I’d rather be here/ People get money and get murdered in here.”

Bones’ music presents a level of honesty that is rarely transcended by any rapper, yet his aesthetic creates a eerie discomfort that is concretized by his diverse and talented production team, a huge benefit to his specific strain of vocal mixing. The next track on the mixtape, “TheDifferenceBetweenUs,” further develops Bones’ chilling aesthetic as producer Greaf brings a snapping, catchy beat with a mysterious tone. On the track, synthesizers dance with a progressing set of hi-hats as Bones pops off on his verse with a casual tonality. On this track, Bones discusses the changes in his life as a result of being a rapper, rapping about his surprise as he’s “Looking all around and it’s nothing like the old place/ Woah/ Black ride when I open up my eyes/ I’m the first one surprised and I’m lookin’ like/ Woah….” Bones seems casually appreciative of the money that’s coming in, but not enough to scream about it on the track or to gloat to his audience, it’s enough for him to simply acknowledge his surprise. From this track alone, Bones establishes himself as a complete anomaly in the rap game, a rapper who is happy with his cash flow, but wishes that money didn’t stop him from always being in booth, creating his art.

Another track which I enjoyed on the mixtape is a track which showcases Bones potential for flare in rhythm and verse, “TheHandOfTheWitch.” Bones admits that he knows he’s got talent and he knows people are flocking to hear his style as he raps, “Motions fluent like oceans/ Got em’ out wonder’ what’s the commotion.” Once they find his page, his Bones explains that his sound is like if the listener were to “Look up and see a corpse is smokin’/ Til’ I turn BONES and show em who own it.” Bones can visualize his talent for musical artistry, as he knows people must be wondering “How does he pick up the world and just mold it/ Almost as if it ain’t nothing to hold.” Bones can create images with his verse that people can’t even imagine or see in the world itself, using his own mind, voice, and pen as a lens to see the dark beauty of that world.

Bones’ music is incredibly complicated on the levels of production, vocal mixing, and the poetry of his verse. Each EP/mixtape presents a mosaic of the person who is Bones, a sliver of the personality and a glimmer of his psyche. Although each song is brief, Bones packs more aesthetic beauty into each track, more honesty than any rapper dares to even creep towards. In this way, Bones is a prime example of the peak of internet rap, a rapper who caters only to his audience and himself. This freedom allows for a progressive style of hip-hop: an inner exploration of self identity which manifests in images which can evoke chills in the in-tuned listener. Bones, still at the beginning of his career and without a record release, has seemingly unlimited potential, but despite the opinion of the critic, Bones is going to continue to put out what he wants. Thankfully for us, his music grasps the soul, the ear, and the mind.

Find Bones’ music on his Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/teamsesh/

Follow me on my twitter: @NSchwassMB

3:13 pm • 18 December 2015 • 6 notes