Review Summary: Music's one hell of a drug.
We all are addicted to music. Most of you users on this site are probably shameless music junkies with their headphones on every given second. But we have a problem. We can't listen to the same music forever and ever. At some point it gets monotonous. So we seek out in the wide spaces of the internet to find new stuff. Still, the biggest source of new music seems to be Youtube. Musicians and Bands got popular just by a few people that clicked on their videos. And as I was strolling through this magical place, I stumbled between the shameless advertising of new rappers.
Seeing a new rapper that has actual potential and talent is a fresh breath of air nowadays, where we are assaulted by Hip-Hop that ranges from stupid but hilarious (2Chainz) and bizarre (Big Sean) to plain horrible (Soulja Boy). Hershey Cloud Hero presents himself on his debut EP as a self-conscious rapper that stands against the typical „Cash, Rims, Hoes and Drugs“ clichè-schlock. Reocurring themes on this piece of work are uncertainty, music as a drug and self-conscious dealing with the society and rap-community, which really stands out from other rappers at this time and place.
The beats Hershey chose for this are unlike anything I heard in modern hip-hop. They are dark and broody, while still being reverb-laden and spacey. Traces of jazz and funk can also be found. The best beat on this EP is „Believe & Beyond“ with it's sample of Lana Del Ray's „Video Games“, creating a soothing atmosphere which gives perfect way for Hershey's slow flow and best lyrical work on the EP. Other noteworthy beats are the guitar driven „Heroes Shouldn't Have To Die“, the funky „Galactic Peak“ and the incredibly jazzy „Reality Note“.
But with every good debut, there have to be some flaws. On this particular record it is his microphone and the way his voice is mixed into the songs. He is incredibly high in the mix which can get extremely annoying, but at some point is ignored completely by the listener, which adjusted to this particular sound. Other minor flaws on this Ep are some flow-awkwardnesses and some forced-sounding rhymes, but since this is his debut work, I'll let this slip. What I can't let slip however is the low-pitched voice he uses on some of the tracks, which sounds terrible and isn't even mixed correctly into the tracks. Luckily, he uses it just 4 to 5 times on the record.
In the end „The Addiction“ stands as a very solid debut effort from an up- and coming rapper that has yet to prove himself artistically, but definitely is worth following. This is worth giving a spin by anyone that wants to hear something new and fresh, but that can look over some minor flaws and appreciate a debut work as what it is: An introduction to the market. And at the end of the day, Hershey surely has some sweets, but can he serve us a full meal?
