‘BOATS’ is the latest studio album from Christian hip-hop artist Steven Malcolm, his fourth offering showcasing his most personal work yet. Hailing from the success of previous album ‘Tree’, which infused his signature brand of melodic, emotionally fuelled hip-hop with electrifying collaborations with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Shaggy, and Jay-Way, the rising star is unquestionably at the top of his game.
Admired for intertwining his faith with hip-hop, Steven Malcolm’s musical journey began when he joined a Church, during a time when he was seeking hope and direction. Hoping to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the hip-hop landscape and introduce inspiring concepts to the hip-hop genre, ‘BOATS’ is equally infectious as it is irresistible, combining palpable beats with hard-hitting lyrics.
‘BOATS’ is carried by Malcolm’s effortless flow, which is expressive without becoming overpowering. The majority of Malcolm’s verses are jaunty and melodic, recalling the characteristics of modern rap with an undisputable twist. Tracks such as ‘10 and 11’ convey a darker tone, colouring Malcom’s lyrics with alluring flourishes and iridescent sound effects. Subtly rhythmic, the experimental nature of ‘10 and 11’ is reflected on fiery opener ‘Truth Story’ and the short-but-sweet ‘40.’ Throughout, Steven Malcolm appears to be modernizing his style, elevating his calm, collected quality to greater levels that are destined for hip-hop mainstream success.
Coherent and shying away from becoming repetitive, ‘BOATS’ displays a multitude of genres, interchanging rap flows and rhythms and ranging between latin, african, modern hip-hop and trip-hop instrumentation. In places, Steven Malcolm’s vocals float over ethereal electronic soundscapes, illustrating a hypnotic effect on tracks such as the breezy ‘Everything I Need’ and the soaring ‘Mr. Away’. ‘BOATS’ also touches on the simplicity of his musical roots on the grand-piano based, religious moment ‘On Time God (Interlude)’.
‘BOATS’ succeeds in delivering empowering messages and reinforces Malcolm’s positive outlook. Triumphantly intertwining this with an overall sound that fits perfectly into the current hip-hop scene, Malcolm’s fresh perspective is what truly sets him apart from other artists within the genre. ‘Bounce’ adopts an uncompromising groove, evoking the memorable impact of the dynamic ‘All On Me’, playful ‘Paper Plane’ and the effervescent, stand-out track ‘Better Days.’
The highlight of ‘BOATS’ is unquestionably hit single ‘Nothing Into Something’, an uplifting number based on Malcolm’s personal experiences, which promotes the idea that any difficult situation can be turned around. Providing a source of hope to his listeners and more, Steven Malcolm is able to embed his strong dedication to faith into perfectly accessible hip-hop – the artist can only go up from here.
In need of a new soundtrack to brighten your spring? Look no further than ‘BOATS’, out now on Curb Records.
