The hip-hop project Bobby Royale, is made up of Gurra G (formerly member of the legendary Swedish hip hop-pioneers Just D), Isac Parker (experienced underground rapper), Björn “Skiss” Edqvist, (the trumpeter for Right off, Tingsek to Loulou LaMotte), and Thomas Blindberg (bass player on recordings with Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Backstreet Boys among others). Each of the four members have for the last 30 years enjoyed success as artists or session musicians. They are 100% dedicated to their love of writing, producing and recording music in their vision, of the future sound of hip hop in an old school style. Their latest release, is the EP, “Royale With Cheese”.
The importance of Bobby Royale’s emergence with a new EP, doesn’t just lie in their blend of musical art – rap, funk, soul and jazz, future and past—but in their impeccable timing, in an era of slurring trappers and artificially generated instrumentals. Bobby Royale reinstate rap and hip-hop as an accessible, but culturally and musically rich organic language for a new generation.
Bobby Royale combine organic instrumentation, with drum machines and well thought-out rhymes, to offer a vision where creative unity and individual expression aren’t exclusive pathways, but one and the same thing. Their musical fluidity is alchemic, set in an intertwining groove of rumbling basslines, dynamic drum patterns, and horn embellishments.
The confluence of everyone’s ideas results in some of the EP’s finest moments. As great as the individual performances are, there’s a greater awe in listening to Bobby Royale’s telepathic fluidity that allows for complex musical arrangements.
And it hits you from the start with the opening track “Everyday People” featuring Henry Bowers and Selma, which creates a polychromatic atmosphere, molding a pulsating rhythm, breathless rhymes and soulful melodic hooks.
“Risin” is played on a straight beat, and a shimmering piano motif, as the horns and the backing vocals build to a crescendo. The narrative unfolds on top of this sonic palette with nuanced rapping and the art of storytelling.
“Hip-hop Salute” discusses the evolution and grind of the rap game, alongside a set of cinematic horns and a banging drumbeat. The members of Bobby Royale all come with a sense of urgency and purpose. It never feels like they’re just going through the motions.
The warm and crisp sound of a soulful and jazzy ballad comes forth from the speakers on the melodic croon of “This One” featuring M-Rock Emrik. Horns and keys dominate this one. There’s a wide range of ideas and musical approaches here, which all orbit around a slow burning groove. It is simultaneously triumphant and bittersweet.
The production “Cheddar” featuring Akem and DJ 1210 Jazz, is upbeat, featuring a rolling bassline, a complex drum track, and a start-stop rhythm. The subject matter strikes a tone of wit and warning, as the rapping sets the track off, blazing like a well-oiled lyrical machine. The current times are creating a space where receptive audiences are looking for music that not only feels and sounds good, but adds substance to the mix. Something Bobby Royale know exactly how to deliver.
One of the more powerful songs on the EP though, is “P.O.B” featuring Mac, an emotionally honest, and forthright musical statement. The track is built on an eloquent and resonating backdrop, and is filled with compellingly beautiful backing vocals and a stunning melodic hook. Not to mention the chilling horns, and the overall haunting aura of the song. All of which gives the rapped verses an affecting and rich framework.
The EP “Royale With Cheese”, will engage fans across a wide spectrum. It’s a body of work that lives up to every expectation. At a time when the world is caught up in a wave of troublesome and unsettling existence, there is plenty of room for necessary and compelling music to distract our attention. The Swedish band, Bobby Royale delivers artful healing through pulsing grooves, intense stories, and unprecedented skill.
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