H.E.R. came through with her latest offering last week. The enigmatic songstress dropped an EP entitled I Used To Know Her: Prelude. The summer release contains 6 solid tracks from start to finish, closing with "As I Am."
The production plays with silence masterfully, allowing H.E.R. vocals to breath. It weaves synths in a similar chord progression as H.E.R.'s duet with Daniel Cesar, "Best Part." Another source of familiarity comes from the shouted sample that is sprinkled throughout the song. The vocals, which were stripped from Stetsasonic's 1986 "Go Stetsa I," also serves as part of the song's outro.
Her song references a more recent hip hop classic in her lyrics, mentioning both the artist directly as well as material from her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: "You're like the sweetest thing I know / Like my favorite Lauryn song."
The first track of the album also references Hill's iconic album. The quality and depth found in this latest EP is a clear indication of this influence.
Quotable Lyrics
You know I'm the best, I am
Be a fool to not take me as I am