“Cruizin”, by Chicago producer and musician “Issata” as a single, brings together a frenetic and multi-layered, Hip Hop soundscape, with a distant and affected vocal line that seems to sit atop a Hip Hop style beat. As the track progresses, a certain familiarity develops in the vivid chaos of the ambience – synths and riffs fall on you as the music flows. This quickly becomes a key feature of the song – giving it that all-important flash of recognition. On top of this, the lead voice plays in the artist’s production space as if it were another instrument, another electronic element to be explored.
“Cruizin” rightfully makes sure you hear the beat once it starts playing. Issata has produced something that musically veers back and forth between hip hop, and rap, synth or pop genres. This certainly lends weight to the song, but every time you listen it feels like a completely loud and bold piece of music and something with a bit more emotion and intent – introducing a bit more of an edge, in my opinion. There is something fresh about the music, especially in this context.
The unusual and rather catchy nature of the music takes your attention away from the concept of the song on first listen. Lyrically the track delivers the classic boastful nature of modern hip hop without holding anything back. The opening verse, in particular, sounds young and carefree, the delivery confident but not quietly screaming for attention, keeping that bounce alive and working well in the ambient environment. The tone of the voice matches the smoothness of the tune very well, and the changing parts and moments that speed up to impress and build more dynamics are all well executed.
The second verse offers a slightly deeper vocal tone and something with a bit more weight and attitude about it. The theme remains the same, the essential rap runs strong, and with the soundscape progressing in a slightly repetitive nature – as downtempo or electronic beats usually do, to let you really get away with them the vocals push for something a little more. Meanwhile, structurally interesting. The track delivers a gentle yet definite hook, and with each new listen you become more in tune with the movement of the lyrics. The whole thing quickly becomes a familiar piece to embrace as summer floats to its end.
