EP REVIEW: Graphik “The Graphinity EP”

Graphik’s “The Graphinity EP” is a nice short head-nodder that arrives just in time for breezy summer nights. The driving force of this project is it’s vibe, it’s sound. So much so, that for me it took a couple listens to really pay attention the the lyrics.

Graphik can spit. This we know. My question is can he ever be commercially acceptable? Or will he forever be an underground hero? Maybe he’s okay with that. All I’m saying is, he has the kind of sound that could easily get catergorized and forgotten. I would hate to see that happen. He is a great lyricist, and the boom0bap sound compliments him very well. I would like to see some variety eventually though.

After a grin-inducing spoken intro, the project opens with “Glimmer Pt 2.”. It’s a story-driven, gritty look into Graphik’s mind. I love it. It’s an appropriate intro to this EP. “For All It’s Worth” builds on the vibe of the previous track, but has a different identity lyric-wise. However, it’s still very story driven. A less trained listener will have trouble finding the difference between the two tracks.

“Koi Fish” is short, but a great track. It has more of a “whimsical” feel, thanks to the production. I would say that I wish this track was longer, but when I rreally thought about it, I dont. It’s just fine as a sort of interlude in the middle of the EP. ”Atmosphere” comes on it’s heels, but doesn’t really do anything for me. It’s the album’s love song, but it falls just short of hitting the right note. Again, this is something that could have been easily rectified by fleshing out the song a bit more, adding another verse and a chorus possibly.

“Snapdragon” is cool, but again, not a full song. His passion definitely bleeds through a bit more on this one though. “Anxiety” is good as well, but with the breaks in actual rapping, it gets boring. Definitely not on the same par as Snapdragon. Being that the “Outro”, is him giving shoutouts, I would say that “Anxiety” is not an appropriate closer.

While “The Graphinity EP” is a good collection of songs, it justdoesn’t rise above my expectations for it. It has a great sound, and a great lyriscist, but there is nothing that jumps out the speakers. It held my ear while listening, but just barely. I would like to see Graphik get us something with a little more direction. I’m sure that all he needs in order to really get the ball moving.

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