Sharing his artistry from the vibrant neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, the songwriter, rapper, and hip-hop artist Wade Wilson demands our attention in his latest hard-hitting 8-track album, 'Chop House.'
A true verbal acrobat, Wade Wilson can share his sensitive and vulnerable side while also leaving listeners nodding their heads to his wise-cracking and charismatic bars. Never failing to shine a light on the epidemic of mental illness in Black America, Wade Wilson makes it difficult to ignore such an honest, versatile, and meaningful approach to contemporary hip-hop.
Diving into the record by way of the introductory track "Mantra," the song takes off with Wade Wilson's deep and intimidating vocal stylings that count us into the track. As a fluttery and hard-hitting organic instrumental heats up the background, Wade Wilson sets fire to the foreground with his dense lyrical abilities that depict the harsh realities of our chaotic 2020 and our venture into clarity. We adore the old-school feel of this track, as Wade Wilson's rhythmic bars complemented with the song's mid-tempo and organic instrumentals genuinely make for a chilling and thrilling listening experience.
Bouncing into track number two, "Be There" this song opens on more of a bright and melodic note through the quick-paced instrumentals that set the song's energetic and exciting tone. As Wade Wilson begins drenching us in his dense and dominant vocal delivery, he lets us into a more motivational lyrical theme while touching on counting his blessings and savoring each experience life has granted. Wade Wilson also moves into more of a melodic delivery halfway through the track, emphasizes his artistic versatility that's difficult to come by nowadays. Not to mention the thrilling background sonics and instrumentation, we feel this classic and sharp-edged Brooklyn feel through this song's entire sonic and lyrical atmosphere.
Moving onto the next tune, "Lex Luger," Wade Wilson deepens the album's atmosphere through this heavily meaningful and reflective track. As the song opens with a haunting vocal chop soaking the background in an eerie and mysterious tone, Wade Wilson makes his dominant vocal appearance while letting us into a more contemplative lyrical theme. As Wade Wilson continues his powerful performance, he stops us dead in our tracks with his honest words regarding his challenge growing up black in white America and the blatant oppression he and many others continue to face. If there's one thing for sure, it's that Wade Wilson is adamant about making it out of these tragic times and looking back only to say, 'We made it.'
Jumping into the project's halfway point with "Latin," the song opens with more of a spirited and feel-good sonic tone through plucky electric guitars, a melodic keyboard arrangement, and crashing organic drum breaks. We must note how much we adore the old-school feel of Wade Wilson's instrumentals, as he utilizes the effectiveness of these melodic and groovy beats to amplify his dense lyrical abilities. As he explains his passion for music and wanting to land himself on acoustic stages and unplugged to tell his in-depth stories, he leads us to the outro without a dull moment in sight while ending the song on a more reflective and introspective note.
Crashing our way through the next track, "Strange," this piece acts as more of an interlude-type piece. As Wade Wilson encourages us to get strange, he grooves his way alongside a demonic vocal chop and his groovy sonics that takes us back to the 90s with their upbeat blend of funk, rock, blues, and hip-hop. We must also note how engaged Wade Wilson leaves us in regards to his powerful sonics and production, as he closes each song with an instrumental transition that gradually leads us into the next piece to follow.
As Wade Wilson drenches us in another heated and fiery beat with his next track, "Big Hurt," the song's powerful tone is set right off the bat thanks to the squealing sonic arrangements, thumping drum breaks, melodic keys, and Wade Wilson's hard-hitting vocal delivery. Although this track is just under two minutes in length, Wade Wilson delivers an incredible array of bars that make the experience all the more engaging. While asking what we want from him, Wade Wilson offers his relatable words regarding fake friends and their ability to be kind to our faces while stabbing us in the back the first opportunity they get.
The next brilliant and deeply melodic piece, "Lifetime," this song opens with a melodic and rich undertone, especially as the haunting and bright vocal chop serenades us alongside Wade Wilson's foreground performance. As the mid-tempo beat continues pouring through our speakers like a warm waterfall, Wade Wilson begins to expand on his upbringing in his tough neighborhood and the experiences that came with it. If there's one thing for sure, it's that his upbringing formed Wade Wilson into an adamant go-getter whose hustle and grind courses through his veins.
Landing on the last track of the album with "Walkin'," the song opens with a vocal sample of a lady explaining her diagnosis of schizophrenia and her relentless journey to personal freedom and clarity. As the downtempo drums crash their way through our speakers, Wade Wilson makes his way in while elaborating on his life experiences with ADHD, oppression, two-faced friends, and his continuous grind to success. We genuinely adore Wilson's honesty, not only in this track but within the entirety of this record, as it allows anyone to relate and nod their heads in a state of reflection. Our favorite bar in this track has to be "-a diary recorded," as that's precisely what we've experienced through Wilson's entire album.
All in all, the overall experience that Wade Wilson has offered with his 8-track album, 'Chop House,' was equally as invigorating as it was reflective. Take the time to open your mind with help from Wade Wilson's record, 'Chop House,' now available on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Wade. We're deeply impressed with the powerful and compelling 8-track album you've released entitled 'Chop House.' Where did you find the inspiration to create this honest 'diary recorded' album?
I listened to a lot of music that I felt came from the same place. Not just hip hop. Everything from MF DOOM to Childish Gambino to My Chemical Romance to Iron Chic. Also a lot of listening to where samples came from and the originals of cover songs. I thought about what mindset those artists might have been in. Looking inside and putting myself in other people’s shoes.
How long did it take to create your album 'Chop House?' Did you find yourself going back to rework and refine some tunes off the record? Was it challenging to finalize this project?
It surprisingly only took two months. I kinda dialed in on this one. I was writing ideas, listening to my old projects, before Kiza sent a beat. Think of an athlete getting ready before a big game or playoffs. A different approach than I’ve had in the past. I did a lot of rehearsal on the verses before recording, played with flow and cadence. Another change was letting a couple of people read the verses ahead of laying them down. And in the end, I handed off to Kiza again and my homie DJ Ben Workin who mixed the project. That’s why it’s good to have people you trust artistically and technically. If anything I wanted to do songs over and Kiza and Ben were like “nah” lol.
Was there a core message or statement that you wanted to make clear to your listeners within 'Chop House?' What did you want your audience to learn or take away from this album?
Idk if it’s a core message, but basically nobody knows what they’re doing. Nobody has it under control. Some act like they do. Or even believe they do. But there are no guarantees. We’re all just surviving and trying to taste some life.
Which track off 'Chop House' do you feel is the most personal to you, and why?
One thing I always touch on is mental illness. I mostly put it in “Walking” the last track. Where I sampled a woman talking about her schizophrenia. I have Mood Disorder Unspecified, it displays a lot of symptoms of different disorders. I have some symptoms of schizophrenia. I also packed in some references to David Lynch movies at the end. I always say his movies portray a sense of mental divergence.
Did you work with any producers or engineers when formulating the old-school-inspired sonics within 'Chop House?' Do you usually rap over such classic-sounding sonics like this?
Kiza G did the entire production and DJ Ben Workin did the whole mix. I have worked with a range of producers on different projects. Lately, I’ve worked with one producer per project. I like the cohesive feel it gives. I like that creative space. I definitely love the classic sound. I listen to stuff from before my own era. I believe my sound overall is different. I’d say Chop House is a nod to the past while headed to the future. We are in a whip from next year but it’s still got a cassette deck, ya feel me?
