“head//heart” by mase J is an effortlessly cool, lo-fi hip-hop masterpiece. While a repeated melodic motif floats through the background, mase J raps a unique, rhythmic, conversational verse. A sentimental, plucked acoustic guitar progression sets the tone for the song, and before you know it, you’re bathing in the smoothest, dreamiest atmosphere you could possibly imagine.
We’re ushered into the track with the aforementioned vocal motif, which sets a sort of bittersweet foundation. A simple, distorted drum groove signals the beginning of the verse: “She said she love me and I believe that.” We’re thrown into a series of simple, relatable, yet emotionally gratifying phrases. The groove remains sparse throughout the song, creating small dynamic arcs by adding and subtracting drums here and there. mase J’s vocal timbre actually adds a lot of interest. His deep yet crisply bright tone cuts through the gentleness of the instrumentation to keep our focus on the main lyrics rather than the ones drifting continuously through the background. It’s a subtly genius skill to layer two lyrics together like that without creating confusion. The listener is easily able to grasp the message, the distinct melodies, and the overall ambiance with ease.
With all that said, you should definitely check out mase J! “head//heart” is not only an original take on hip-hop, but an enjoyable listen for any music lover. You can really hear the passion in mase J’s delivery, which translates to an overall passionate ambiance for the track as a whole.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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PHOTOS BY IYISHA ROSE
