Independent Recording artist, PATH P (Positioned At The Highest Point), aka Colin Lawton, is a talented lyricist born & raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, NY. His music provides a soundscape of healing, empowerment and overall enrichment of the soul, serving as a lyrically charged voice on behalf of the people. Writing rhymes off and on since the age of 16 with the inspiration of longtime friend, Ganz Gutta, PATH P officially realized the love and passion for making music, particularly hip-hop, back in 2008 and has since embarked on the career path to bring his brand of socially aware and creatively charged hip hop to the forefront of the worldwide masses.
Path P’s long awaited 3rd LP, “Revolution & Legacy, Volume II: The Legacy”, a 15-track eclectic soundscape featuring original beat production by producer, MythMuzik. #RandLv2 is PATH’s most vulnerable lyrical display yet, telling his storied exploration of his legacy, running the gamut from growing up fatherless to dealing with love, depression, social responsibility and coming to terms with the impact of his artistry and personal successes thus far.
“Light’s On” explodes into view, lighting up the road ahead for the brand new LP. A brilliantly crisp and chaotic alternative project that showcases a whole new side to the already creatively free and consistently striking artist. PATH P exercises his unpredictable lyricism and expressive, theatrical vocal style in a continuously engrossing manner. Fragments of ideas, dark and intriguing, alongside short lines and quick rhymes make this one you’ll undoubtedly need to hear more than once to really connect with it. In between moments of intensity there are delicate musical intricacies throughout this playlist – dashes of instrumentals, melodies and hooks that craft engaging, alternative hip-hop ambiances. “Zero” makes the most out of all of this, a few simple elements but each one unexpected and free-flowing – rhythmic but artistic, and always more in tune with the progression of the story-line than a simple industry standard.
“Abyss” is absolutely a highlight. Bringing through an upbeat energy, the pace and vibrancy of the track fused with a clever structure, PATH P’s story-telling and compelling vocal delivery, makes for something incredibly uplifting and refreshing to experience. “My Soul” follows on with a relentless, breathless vocal, alongside another tribal beat and plenty of space. The lyrics, the depth of the concept, and the performance are what drive. No flashy details or layers are needed, and to contrast with PATH’s intensity and wit you also get a gentle, soulful vocals providing a melodic aspect that helps keep things moving. “Now” Ft. Nefertiti Gold injects a hit of haunting darkness, a musically fuller soundscape with a string-like backdrop and a manic piano riff meet the high energy of PATH’s vocal and ideas in a powerful way. “Until” Ft. ROB (Rise On Belief) fuses age-old synths with a light and familiar beat, a hint of world-inspired instrumentation, PATH P offers some of his most provocative and interesting lyrics yet. “No Weapon” presents a moment of calm and contemplated reflection, an enjoyable bass-line and a rise-and-fall chord progression create the perfect groove for this hard-hitting presentation.
“Dreams v Nightmares” (Interlude) is an acapella break as well as a clever feature of intelligently sourced lyricism. PATH P’s truth runs free on “Dreams v Nightmares” Ft. Mickey Factz, in subtle but certain and smart ways, and this is the final building block that takes the album higher than ever. “Vibes” Ft. Brixx stands out by a mile for its striking introduction, performance-based with a clear bit of scene-setting, and an addictive riff to top it off. Soon enough the sound of today’s hip hop landscape joins forces with this creatively free approach, making for a track that hits hard yet feels strangely gentle at the same time; partly peaceful yet clearly manic and rightfully lost within its own intention and concept. The verses kick in with an appropriate intensity and pace. “Been Dope” Ft. Rayne Storm is another highlight for similar reasons! You don’t expect the outpouring of melody and emotion that opens up a whole new corner of the project. The lyrics hold tight to your attention, the music suits the mood of these words, and the performances strike as completely genuine and authentically connected to the bars at play throughout.
Towards the end, “Ain't Worried (World Is Mine)” proves a further testament to PATH P’s new-found creative freedom. You get an impressive and slowly intensifying track that gathers momentum brilliantly. The concepts and the moods set by “#AMZG” intrigues and appeals, as this process happens it makes you feel a stronger connection to it all. The flow and the passion in every element is completely immersive and addictive to listen to. “Calisthenics” Ft. Merc the Big Body Benz, J. Artist, A.B. & Genee brings the LP close to finish finish. It offers something refreshing and undoubtedly welcome in contemporary hip hop. “Forever” Ft A.J. Throwback & Tabou TMF sees things to a colorful and energizing finish. A mighty collab, three artists with a shared mindset and understanding of the artistic space. A rhythmically collected, enjoyable groove, a great way to go out.“Revolution & Legacy, Volume II: The Legacy” is an intentional and thoughtful, creative project. PATH P strikes again and nobody does it quite like he does.
Listen to “Revolution & Legacy, Volume II: The Legacy” here and read more with PATH P below!
Hey PATH P! Congrats on the new release! What do you hope your listeners take away from “Revolution & Legacy, Volume II: The Legacy”?
Many thanks! One of the major takeaways I always pray my listeners get from my music in general, but specifically from this album, is the importance of being as authentic as possible with self; understand there’s a great power in being vulnerable, not only with others, but with yourself first. That’s a major key when it comes to mastering one’s life journey. I feel we’ve been cultivated to deal very much & very closely with the external forces and to kind of leave whatever’s happening with the internal aside, as if it’s not as important as the validation of others or what we’re being told to enjoy or pay attention to or love or the like is all outside of ourselves. We’ve been taught to address our problems by either putting them on others or needing other people to “complete” us, whether emotionally or spiritually and things will be better in instances where they are just not. That’s just not the case. And that’s not to say don’t rely on people or don’t connect with people, no, because even at the same time we’ve been taught this sense of radical individualism. It’s a weird sandbox we’ve been forced to play in.
We get to seek help, but first we get to acknowledge and really be with the circumstances we’re internally plagued with; we get to heal on our own terms by first looking at self and with that understanding of self, we can build on the healing process and ultimately get to an effective space of coexisting with others and build space for others to heal as well, without it being a codependent, energy-sucking experience, to put it bluntly. “The Legacy” is an exploration of self, while looking at what my legacy has been up to now and what it will be because I said so and trust in my process, and I would love for it to be a space for healing and for others to feel they’re not along in their processes and get to look at their legacy, their impact on the world, in the same way, big or small. We all have the capability to impact the world in ways we can’t imagine, until it happens.
What emotions did you channel when creating this LP?
“The Legacy” took a few years to really complete, between writing and the recording, mixing and mastering process. So it’s a culmination of diving deep into various emotions I was going through during that time and even coming to terms with a lot of emotions I had battled with since the beginning of my career: fear, frustration, confusion, anger, love, joy, disappointment, sadness, pride… I really ran the gamut, yet I feel this project - beautifully composed like a soundtrack to Life by the big homie, MythMuzik – successfully encapsulates all those emotions to paint a picture of a man no different than any other human being in the trials, tribulations and triumphs he goes through.
What do you aspire to achieve as an artist?
Global impact. I want to know when I’m truly, truly done with this somewhere very far down the road… I’ve left this earth with an invaluable, incomparable connection to humans across the globe that took the time to listen to and experience my artistry. That I’ve touched their souls in a way only I could and I’ve been at least part of the spark to the mind(s) that will change the world for the greater.
I get a strong sense that you read a lot and think a little more deeply on things than most – where do you generally get your inspiration from, and is there anything outside of hip hop that drives you creatively? (poetry, books, movies, politics, etc.)
I consider myself a humble observer and consumer of what the world has to offer me, daily. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more accustomed to connecting deeper with others, whether to understand or be of direct support through their plights and their joys. I’ve always been big on critical analysis, so I’ve grown to decipher information as it comes in and read between the lines of what’s not being said, whether it’s news on social media or in the streets. I stay away from mainstream media news as much as possible, because it’s not real to me, and sadly it’s getting worse.
I try to learn from people more, especially those who’ve traversed this earth much longer than I have. I “chew up the fat and spit out the bone” as my wife would say, meaning take the core parts of the provided details that are truly relevant and paramount to the main point and throw away the extra pieces that don’t effectively serve the narrative. I also learn a lot from & with my wife, who’s a poet and professor, so she’s highly well-learned, and we have regular conversations unpacking the world around us, which greatly helps, even when I can’t see 100%, and vice versa.
I’ve been reading much more, as well. I watch documentaries based in one way or another on our human condition and even regular movies to unpack how storytelling has been impacted by societal dictation of our experiences; like, my wife and I don’t just watch movies to watch movies, there’s always an underlying story being told under the story being told that we always feel is important to pay attention to just as much as the main story. There are signs all around us, we as humans don’t by and large always pay attention as much as we should, but we’d be better prepared if we did more often. So, a lot of this regular exploration tends to fuel how I create and the messaging I put forth in my art.
What’s the hope for you going forward in 2019 and beyond?
I’ve grown to do my best to trust rather than hope when it comes to my future, ha ha, as I believe in intention, in word and in thought. So my trust is for the remainder of the year and beyond, more people get to experience the music, experience the message and share it with others; have conversations about it; learn more about my past work in the process; get a greater understanding of who I am as an artist, as a man, as a black man in America, as a human, experiencing my human experience… And understand how it can translate into what’s possible for them and what comes up for them, what’s relevant of course.
My trust is more music will be made, (which it will, as there’s much in the works) more collaborations, more travel, more shows in new territories as well as old ones. I also trust the music – and I, in general - will get even better, as I’ve learned to be in competition only with my previous self. I’m looking to expand the soundscape, so I’m excited for what’s to come.
Discover more on PATH P and stay tuned with upcoming releases & shows via social media: