Liricky ‘314Fontaine’ Cox in St. Louis, Mo, where he still resides to this day. Fontaine’s love of music dates back to when he was 6 years old, listening to gospel music at the church his grandmother worked at, cleaning and preparing for Sunday service. His first taste of Hip-Hop came in the form of No Limit Records, founded by Master P, as he fell in love with many of the artists on the roster. At 17 he formed a rap group called Static Bound composed of his cousin Peezy and a local female rapper before being replaced by another of his cousins Lady T. They achieved some local success, however in 2007 his bandmate and cousin Peezy was murdered. The devastation shocked 314Fontaine into a long hiatus, until 2016, when picked up the mic again.
314Fontaine has since become the CEO and owner of Black Dolla Empire LLC, as he continues on his grind to fulfill his ambitions, and those of his family. Currently he is promoting his single “Not Regular”.
The reason 314Fontaine will be creeping into conversation is his consistency. He’s been releasing music with venom in the bars which harks back to rap’s better days, which reminds us that he does what he wants and he does it like no one else does.
On songs like “Not Regular” 314Fontaine shows that he can go from the charismatic and almost conversational style to the harsh aggression and high-speed, one line after another, heavily inspired by the world’s most well-known rappers from the past.
Having said that, this track stands out for its modern, cutting edge sound – warm pianos, dynamic string synths, and rattling percussion. Throughout the track we are taken on a journey by a lyrical and direct 314Fontaine.
The production escalates with 314Fontaine as he bursts out the gates moving rapidly towards the song’s apexes. The rapper’s switching of his cadence as he flows on this track is impressive, making “Not Regular” something so digestible and addicting to dissect.
With its substantial narrative and high concept lyrics, the song does a fantastic job of accentuating 314Fontaine’s technical acumen. The juxtaposition of this, next to the rugged and luscious beat adds to the track’s welcome energy.
For the duration of this track, 314Fontaine proves that his hard, venerable flow can be the perfect vessel for storytelling and discussing profound, personal topics, as well as throwing out warnings. It is exceedingly apparent that 314Fontaine put a great deal of inventiveness and craft into this masterpiece, as the music and verbal animation flow together seamlessly.
The swagger 314Fontaine exudes on “Not Regular” is uncanny, portraying a time when rap was all about technique and braggadocio. It’s a track that makes me believe the St. Louis native can literally rap over anything.
OFFICIAL LINKS: YOUTUBE – TIKTOK – INSTAGRAM – MERCHANDISE –SPOTIFY – APPLE MUSIC
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