‘Cold Water’ Delves into Medhane’s Inner Turmoil
Abstract hip-hop is back on the menu, everyone!
This latest project comes from up and coming Brooklyn rapper, Medhane. Cold Water is his second full-length album, and this one is giving him a lot of attention.
So what’s the buzz all about? Like other great abstract hip-hop projects, Cold Water focuses on self-reflection, complemented by minimalistic and lo-fi production.
However, I noticed that Medhane isn’t always straightforward in his lyrics. I had to relisten to songs several times before I got close to understanding what he was saying.
Medhane gets a lot off his chest in a short amount of time. Verses sound like a stream of consciousness as they jump from topic to topic in the blink of an eye.
This isn’t unintentional, however. As the album progresses, listeners learn that Medhane is trying to heal from past trauma and pain. This free-flow style of writing acts as his way of alleviating and understanding his anguish.
Verses like, “Wore my armor but the cuts beneath cut me deep,” from “Late,” or “I ain’t get to build the bridge I was in my head / Two weeks in the hospital bed / Mind moving weird / Crazy that I made it through the year,” from “All Facts,” give listeners enough to understand Medhane’s plight and fill in the gaps on their own.
However, a moment of revelation occurs on “TRS,” featuring rapper and producer Navy Blue. Medhane opens up about past trauma and hopes to start anew after personal introspection. In the second verse, Navy Blue describes surviving a suicide attempt and learning to face his inner demons. The track concludes with both of them on the chorus and features the best verse on the record: “I was MIA / Runnin’ from the trouble y’all was in my way / Swear we all been thru it had to get my faith / Make my way.”
It’s a triumphant moment as Medhane takes his first steps on his road to recovery. No other moment on the album is as exultant as “TRS.”
That’s not to say there aren’t other emotional highlights on the album from here on out. Medhane learns to expresses his love on “Na Fr,” he gets his strength back on “Watch My Step,” and sheds his burdens on “Full Hands.”
“I’m Deadass” comes close as Medhane sounds like he is at his most confident. The beat, comprised of reverberated saxophones and fractured keys and drums, is, surprisingly, the record’s most uplifting composition. Medhane couldn’t have reached this peak without “TRS,” so this track feels earned and rewarding.
Other creative beats accompany Medhane’s verses, like the warped sampling and fractured beat of “Late,” the submerged sirens and tribal drums on “All Facts,” the psychedelic trance of “Watch My Step,” and the muddled and hypnotic, “Bun Down Babylon.”
Many of these tracks sound like they are drowning in water, serving as a connection to the name of the album and Medhane’s struggle to keep his mentality figuratively above water.
The rest of the project features jazz and soul sampling, typical and tiresome of the abstract hip-hop genre.
The album also has a weak start, as “Off Tha Strength” goes on for too long for a song without an interesting beat, and Medhane has a short verse that leaves me wanting more. “No Cap” also suffers as it isn’t as engaging as the following tracks.
At it’s best, Cold Water offers a deeper understanding of the artist who composed it while also offering inventive production and beats. At its worst, it sounds generic.
The best thing this project did, however, was put Medhane on my radar. If you are as much of an abstract hip-hop fan as I am, I highly recommend Cold Water.
Essential Tracks: “Late,” “All Facts,” “New Drip,” “TRS,” “Watch My Step,” “I’m Deadass,” “Bun Down Babylon.”
7/10