Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX: “Melodic” mixes nostalgia with cool laidback tones

Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX are artists from Savannah, GA. The two just released their new single Melodic which is on iTunes, Tidal, Spotify, etc. This piece resonates with tremendous impact. The structure is as expansive and freewheeling as any strange trip. The track is less about the attempt to break on through than a way of describing the hallucinatory shades, transitory revelations, and cigarette burns of the journey.

You can get off or on the bus at any juncture. There is no ideology or orthodoxy. No arbitrary binaries between conscious or gangster, apostle or agnostic. Freaks and free thinkers are accepted to the verbal party here.

Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX mix nostalgia with cool laidback tones as effectively as almost anyone. “Melodic” could come off like sentimental back-in-the-day cliché, but there’s a street-smart edge that holds everything in check.

The duo’s music is full of humanity, anecdotes and mannerisms. The musicianship here is at its finest, and Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX delivers in such a personal way that you can’t help but to be drawn in. Yes, it’s slow, but the music is still great. The duo has killer flows and clever lyrics, while the beat almost reaches perfection with its atmospheric arrangement. This is a track that’s perfect for reflecting.

This isn’t “mass-consumption” club hip-hop. This is up close and personal. These dudes sound as they’re just talking to you. So if you still enjoy in your face rappers, screaming at you about their money, and jewels, you’d better go and find something else to listen to.

Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX are at their strongest when they relax into the beat and unravel a well-worn story about love or loss. There is a fine line that stands between stream-of-consciousness style narratives and plain self-consciousness, and Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX are walking the line on this song.

All you need to appreciate this track is two ears connected to a heart. Whether it’s the deeper message, the prolific beat or memorable lyrics, everybody should be listening to this record. The mellow bravado that the duo shows throughout the track is a testament to how comfortable they are while on the mic.

It’s refreshing for Hip-Hop music to show a mature stance on life and love, and “Melodic” is an exemplification of where Thuggish Buddha & CMPLXX has taken their work.

OFFICIAL LINKS: TIDAL – ITUNES – INSTAGRAM Thuggish Buddha – INSTAGRAM CMPLXX