Born in Stockton, and growing up in the south, up and coming rapper Moe, is hitting the Bay Area, and with him comes the baggage of his life experiences that start as a youngster in the occupied territory of Palestine. Where he lived in a rough area, and even had an assault rifle pointed at him by a solider when he was only three. His mother, a cancer survivor, and his father, whose hardships were surreal making it in America, taught him to never let where you are, affect where you are going to be. These experiences and lessons have given Moe a more cultured, bright, outlook on life, which can be heard on his 5 track EP “Cloud Surf”.
Throughout the EP, Moe’s flow is a giddy, stream-of-consciousness spill of internal rhymes, sing-song melodies as playful as jump-rope chants and unpredictable imagery. The production too, on this album is dazzlingly impeccable, as Moe pulls it off, and manages to assemble astounding production into one piece of discography, care of – Origami Beats (Anymore/ Cloud Surf/ Addictive Personality) and Cash Money AP (New Wave/ Set The Mood). The variety of beats is refreshing, while every beat on this EP is perfectly executed and fits Moe’s flow and vocals perfectly.
Unlike some of his overworked Southern counterparts, Moe is far from lazy and unenergetic on the mic, or maybe slurring his words with a heavy undecipherable mumble. Moe combines a good sense of humor with great writing and the product is the fantastic lyrics he spits. And Moe is also to switch it up from time to time.
The perfect lyrical balance of humor and seriousness that can be found on “Cloud Surf” is a rejuvenating trait that many albums cannot claim. Moe often uses the element of surprise to evoke a feeling from outside the box upon his listeners. It is with atmosphere and lyrics that this project solidifies itself as a worthwhile listen, and pleasant surprise.
Lyrically, Moe always has something interesting to say, using unique rhyming techniques to get his point across. There are three songs that are loosely tied together spread over the course of the EP, “New Wave (ft. itsPHIL)”, “Anymore”, and “Set The Mood”, all of which make strong points for Moe’s ability to deliver rhymes in extremely diverse styles.
So if you’ve been looking for some hip-hop that may get you interested in the genre again, or even if you like hip-hop and are looking for something new to cherish, check this EP out. And if you can’t find yourself believing in the power of hip-hop again after listening to it, I can safely say it’s time for you to give up hope that you ever will.
The story here isn’t of the usual hard gangster lifestyle, although you’ll find some weed floating all over the place in “Cloud Surf” and even a little story about a ‘hoe’ in “Addictive Personality”, but it’s a totally different and more clever take on the subject than you’re used to hearing.
When you first jump into the EP, you should notice that Moe sounds like his own person and isn’t stuck on the hype train by attempting to imitate any peers or fellow rappers.
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