Atomic Brings Back an Old School Flavor with his Debut ‘Graduation Speech’

Despite being a young artist who’s just set foot in the industry, Atomic raps like he’s been at it for ages in his debut single ‘Graduation Speech’. The amount of old-school aggression and fire in this feature is completely encapsulating, whereas the production just piques your curiosity instantly. If this debut is anything to go by, you can expect a series of catchy numbers from this driven musician. The song was created to pay homage to the millions of teenagers who missed out on their graduation ceremony this year on account of a global pandemic. It’s honestly sweet for someone to remember the high school and college graduates — and commemorate their big moment through the medium of music — when so much of the news and current headlines are dominated by more dire and urgent and subjects.

The music video begins with an atomic bomb explosion — no doubt a callback to the artist’s name. Then he launches straight into the verse, his energy at once sensible and thunderous. The production samples some familiar hip-hop tunes from the ages gone by, adding a flavor of 90s-era madness and rebellion to the mix. The up-tempo beat will immerse you into the composition, while the classic rock and R&B arrangement in the background will immediately send people down memory lane.

It’s one thing to be adept at spitting out verses like there’s no tomorrow but with the advent of social media and multiple music mixing technologies, contemporary artists such as Atomic have a way of borrowing and blending tracks to perfection. The lasting effect is a little bit of nostalgia and a whole lot of collective emotion in terms of the current moment.

The absolutely groovy spirit of the chorus is so infectious that you will be moving your feet in no time. What’s commendable is that Atomic is still able to send a positive message through the tune — it’s inspiring the class of 2020 to go out there and follow their dreams no matter what. The video chronicles the journey of a young man figuring out his path in the context of the current circumstances. A simple but effective motif that speaks for the rest of us in vivid fashion.