San Diego trip hop quartet 10-19 & The Number Men stretch the boundaries of traditional rap music and bend into a surreal mix of rhyme, rhythm, and melody. New single, ‘July 10th’ is the second to come from their debut EP, ‘Spokes’, and with it they take us on a trippy twilight journey through their underground world.
The EP ‘Spokes’ was released in January this year via the San Diego based It’s Okay, I’m Crying label. Recorded remotely because of quarantine, ‘July 10th’ is a dark and surreal, often dreamlike track, which sees 10-19 & The Number Men wend their way lyrically through some frankly apocalyptic terrain, while on the way setting down their lean, shadowy grooves. The listener is taken on a psychedelic journey through places they’ve never before encountered.
Switching it up spoken word and a languid flow, 10-19 & The Number Men paint a picture of a life with no stressors, where even FOMO isn’t a thing. Equally ominous and compelling, the group pushes hip-hop to its limit, in a demonstration that positivity can happen on a dark night, as well as a day filled with sunshine and lollipops.
In the accompanying clip, we see the group setting up shop in a few spots which lend themselves to mischief late at night. But never fear, they’re only here to play, with these abandoned locations providing the perfect backdrop for who are ready to receive. They start out in a deeply cavernous, graffiti-covered drainpipe, lit by blacklight, followed by an empty parking garage, the group blending perfectly with their surroundings. Frontman 10-19 captivates the camera, showing himself to be a born orator, as well as a true believer in his rhymes. The music video was shot and directed by Upstate Productionz, a San Diego-by-way-of-New-York production house, who have made a name working with much of the local hip-hop scene.
Watch the clip for ‘July 10th’ below and find out more about 10-19 & The Number Men online from their label’s website.
