by djohn mustard
Favorite Tracks: Medicated, Leave Me Alone, In The Air
Little Rock born rapper Kari Faux has given us a glimpse of her tumultuous past with the release of her latest EP, Cry 4 Help. Remarkably raw, Cry 4 Help, still maintains the catchy bars and instrumentals that are expected of Faux’s music, yet still remains fresh.
Cry 4 Help opens up with Medicated, a hard hitting lethargic, yet somehow still rhythmic, track about Faux’s past drug use. In an incredibly catchy chorus, Faux sings “Here we go again, another high again/Here we go again, another low again/Here we go again, she’s rollercoasterin’.” Her low timbre and slightly raspy voice round this track out.
Following up Medicated is the EP’s lead single, Leave Me Alone, a slow and lavish ANTHEM filled with a funky bass line and Faux’s unique voice. If you’ve ever wanted to forget about a former significant other, this is the song to sing (or cry) your heart out to. Cry 4 Help’s other 3 tracks also deal with Faux’s personal issues such as sexual abuse, toxic masculinity, and mental health.
The only feature on the entire EP is Curren$y’s feature on In the Air features. Curren$y gives a solid performance, yet his feature is short lived. His bars in particular don’t really fit with the what the song is about and the track as a whole would have still been great without the feature.
The final track, Latch Key, has Faux making herself vulnerable to listeners with her bars about her struggle with depression, and even miscarriage. Latch Key features a hazy (almost) lo-fi instrumental with Faux rapping in her typical conversational style.
Cry 4 Help is Kari Faux most personal and ambitious release. Her incredibly raw lyrics and unique backing instrumentals make this EP definitely worth listening to.
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