A name to keep an eye on: Serge Severe. On Rare Flow, he teams up with Jon Belz, and the title says what this track is about.
Who Is Serge Severe?
Serge was born in San Francisco. His father is a master Latin percussionist who came to the US from Nicaragua as a teenager, so rhythm runs in the family. Add Nicaragua's rich tradition of poetry, and you get an MC with a style all his own: slick wordplay, a lot of versatility and real storytelling.
A Busy Run
2011 was a huge year for him. His album Back on My Rhymes got strong reviews from HipHopDX and SOHH, and with the group Animal Farm he released Culture Shock, featuring Talib Kweli, Rob Swift and Abstract Rude. On top of that, he dropped the free mixtape Severe over Premier with DJ Wels.
Service Without a Smile
Rare Flow comes from his new EP Service Without a Smile, made with Portland producer Terminill, who has also worked with Braille, Meyhem Lauren and Mistah Fab. The EP is the first of three Serge Severe releases planned for this year.
My Take
Three releases in one year is a strong statement. If they all sound like this, I am looking forward to the rest.
