PRISM MEDIA
PRESENTING REALITY IN SLOW MOTION.
SELFISH
“Selfish, selfish, selfish, need the bread now.
Wealthy, wealthy, wealthy, carry the dead now.”
by Nicholas Torres
5/15/2020, 3:33PM
In this day and age, we’re all looking for the next big thing. Hundreds of thousands of hours of content get uploaded daily. Artists scratching and clawing their way to the top, hoping for the moment they breakthrough the algorithm.
Sometimes an artist’s voice and vision is so powerful in its singularity, it’s as if we’re all watching and waiting for their inevitable rise to the top, because that’s the only place they ever truly belonged. Gat$ is that visionary artist.
SELFISH is an intricately woven masterpiece, five emcees walking a tightrope over monstrous production by Wally Rios and Gat$ himself. And like Philippe Petit balancing on wire between The Twin Towers, it’s a fucking sight to behold.
First up is Mike Mass, with biting lyrics over a menacing drum loop and haunting piano chords. Setting the tone for the track, his verse is vivid, laden with descriptive imagery comparable to our literary giants. Each bar carefully constructed, crescendoing into an explosion of expression. Guitar licks build underneath, the beat drops out, and this is just the beginning.
A six-and-a-half minute opus with not a second to waste, each lyricist takes advantage of their moment, contributing to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Super grateful to Gat$ for curating this legendary track and helping the listener discover four other formidable underground emcees.
S/O Mike Mass, NIKO IS, Patrick Hughes & Scxtt Aye , who each body the track.
Each verse has a ferocity and verve that is singular in its voice and perfectly placed. It’s frankly awe-inspiring. Each rapper made me look them up and download their whole discography to my library.
This is what great music is supposed to sound like.