The Haisla Nation hip-hop duo’s latest EP Born Deadly is the followup to their acclaimed album Trapline, which was one of the best protest albums of 2019.
In a press statement, Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce and Darren “Young D” Metz said, “A lot of the music we wrote for this EP was inspired by the energy we feel at our shows. The tracks are ‘turn up’ tracks and we intended for fans to not only hear them on record, but at our live shows too.”
The duo succeeded in capturing an energetic feel. The opening track “Peaks and Valley” has a breezy feel-good summer jam vibe. It is a bit of a stylistic departure for the duo, but the accessible beats are balanced with insightful lyrics. The tune is an empowering celebration of their heritage.
This tune is followed by the opening single “Real Deadly.” The song continues to build upon themes of empowerment. It is a galvanising anthem about feeling strong and confident. It has some stylistic and lyrical similarities to “Boujee Natives,” one of the highlights off Trapline. The lyric “Long hair, don’t care boy, I do what I want. Got a party in the back, chief and council in the front (Ha)” is a reference to their tune “Long Hair Don’t Care” which appeared on their self-titled debut album. It is a statement on how long hair traditionally represents bravery.
The third track and second single “Cops With Guns Are The Worst!!!,” is the EP’s hardest-hitting and most political tune. The lyrics are a direct response to the police brutality happening at the Wet’suwet’en pipeline protests taking place across Canada. Throughout the duo’s career, they have had the knack of composing protest anthems that have been played at protest rallies and incorporated into chants. The song also is a nod to past protest classics such as N.W.A.’s “Fuck tha Police” and Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (“Fuck the police, with a fist to the sky! We fighting for the future homie pick a side.
New lies, cut ties, new genocide. We the future and the future will be televised”). This is another worthy contribution to their collection of movement tunes.
The next track “TMZ” is an absolute banger. The tune is a pointed critique of fake tabloid news and the length that people will go for clicks. The song is also a middle finger to the haters.
The EP closes with “Kobe Face,” a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s game face is used to symbolize determination. Similarly, Nyce and Metz put on their game faces in the rap game and when it comes to speaking out on indigenous issues.
The only criticism is the EP leaves you still wanting more. But there are worse things than not overstaying your welcome. The album explores some new sounds while still providing the meaningful social commentary that the duo is known for.
The EP will be released on April 3rd.