Words by Rohit Loomba (@Poombster)
Today’s Hip-Hop is often thrown into one of many categories which have developed over the course of the genre: trill, drill, gangsta, trap, east-coast, west-coast, hyphy, along with numerous others that have developed over the years. But every now and then there comes Hip-Hop which just doesn’t fall into any existing category and that’s exactly what Rockie Fresh delivers with The Night I Went To. The 13-track mixtape was recorded while Fresh was on tour with G-Eazy and comes two years after last mixtape, Fresh Veggies.
TNIWT boasts brilliant production. The production on “The Landing” underscores Fresh’s introspection with simple piano chords which later gives away into a more lush second half. On “Are You With Me” a bass line, reminiscent of that on Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm”, is matched with a simple melody and guitar riffs that complement Fresh seamlessly. Elsewhere, the guitar and tropical drums of “Call Me” are sure to get almost everyone’s feet moving and head bobbing. One of the strongest production efforts samples Maverick Sabre’s “I Need” for a track that pays homage to its original by retaining the same name. Darker production efforts are found on “Down to Roll” and “Tell Me” and utilize clever drum patterns. Each track on the mixtape is meticulously produced with no real lackluster production efforts found.
But good production can only take any release so far and an emcee can ultimately make or break any track. Fresh doesn’t seem to break a sweat keeping up with quality of his supporting production. It becomes evident that TNIWT serves as a release for Fresh who uses this mixtape as the platform with which to share lessons he’s learned while on the road. On “The Landing”, Fresh tells of the darker side of Hip-Hop, “the game’s so dirty but I’m fresh in mud”, and shares his own uncertainties, “so many places that I wanna see/ so many countries where I wanna go/ will I make it I don’t really know/ but lord knows I’m workin’ for it”. But Fresh doesn’t lack confidence in his abilities which he makes clear on “Are You With Me”: “I’m slept on so right now my name might not ring a bell/ but pretty soon…they all gon’ know me”. What is also impressive about Fresh is his ability to alter his delivery to match the cadence of the production. While his style is unique, there are times where his delivery is reminiscent of east-coast emcees such as Joe Budden and Fabolous. Fresh handles most of the emceeing by himself with the few features coming from industry heavyweights Chris Brown, Rick Ross, and Ed Sheeran.
In an industry where cookie-cutter records seem to be a majority of releases, Fresh’s TNIWT is refreshing. Borrowing elements of different sounds, Fresh creates his own sound with TNIWT. One that is exciting and works. Signed to Maybach Music Group/Atlantic Records and preparing to embark on his own national tour, Fresh is on his way to making his mark on the game. “I wish I had a whole ‘nother planet to move to llke the Jetsons. Will you miss me that’s the question,” Fresh raps on “The Landing”. And the answer is yes. Yes, we would miss you.
3.5 stars (out of 4)
-Rohit Loomba