2022 is shaping up to be an excellent year in the pseudo-underground Hip Hop community. Rap from every corner of the globe has been flourishing, with East Coast Hip Hop entering a renaissance era, delivering nearly unblemished offerings seemingly every week. Harlem representative and hard-hitting lyricist Bodega Bamz joined in on the festivities, releasing his newest project Vivir... at the top of March.
A decade into his career, it seems that Bamz has unequivocally polished his craft to an unsullied state. Vivir..., standing at ten tracks in length, has no extra fat or bloat throughout – it's a prime cut piece of music, seasoned with cultural references and aromatic adages of his background. There's a notable dedication to the artistic quality, as referenced in the cover art of the project.
Tracks such as "Nicky Warlord," "Eyes Without A Face," and "La Venganza Es Dulce" display the prevalence of samples and layered instrumentation when painting a picture, while songs such as "Palo De Santo" and "Sounds About Rich" use darker brush strokes to tie the piece together. "Sounds About Rich" features the same instrumental sample as Kendrick Lamar's "Sing About Me," and both tracks tell beautiful stories, although using differing methods.
Listen to Bodega Bamz' newest album Vivir... below: