Bay Area raised rapper FIFTH shares his debut album titled One Years Old. The 7-track body of work depicts the story of starting life from Day 1. FIFTH walks us through the journey of his childhood all the way up to living the life that he learned to be his true self. In a way, it sounds like a story of shedding one’s past but more importantly, it’s a case of an individual finding himself.
One Years Old serves as FIFTH’s proper full-length introduction to the world and in the form of semi-autobiographical release. The opening track “Cost of Doin’ Business” details how he severed ties with his family of devout Jehovah’s Witnesses eventually leading to him being excommunicated and shunned by his family. Over a haunting vocal sample-driven backdrop he opens up a floodgate of emotions on the first verse with lines like “…I decided to grow up, stopped believing fairy tales/ I was on a slave boat now the ship has really sailed…”. He realizes that his decisions will not be taken kindly and he has somewhat sealed his fate but he doesn’t relent and further shows the broken bond with his family on the chorus that goes thus “…My family don’t acknowledge my existence/I’m thinking hey, that’s the cost of doing business/…no longer on they contact now I’m on their hit list…”.
The introspective “On My Way” sees FIFTH question many of the things he was taught as a kid. Things such as secular music were from the devil and anything beyond the scope of their teachings will lead to eternal damnation. FIFTH, on the other hand, was inspired by the rappers he saw on TV and couldn’t find an easy way to bridge his beliefs and what he truly loves. He takes a deep look within and decided to follow his dreams as he states on the hook “…the cloud is less gray, I see the sunshine and I’m starting to feel the rays, tell ’em I’m on my way…”
Most of the songs on this project provide solemn undertones but matched with deep soulful vibes that allow FIFTH to really dive into the intimate workings of his psyche. On tracks like “Strong Will” and “On My Way” he mentions how his passion for contemporary music clashed with his spiritual upbringing and the inner struggles he had to overcome to find solace in his art. Other tracks like the cinematic “Chasin Dreams” focus more on his bravado while the closing track “Thankful” sees him walking off victoriously into the sunset.
As a whole, One Years Old feels therapeutic to the emerging rapper who uses it as a way to strengthen his resolve and determination to carve his own path. He can definitely hold his own as an artist and displays a vast amount of vulnerability over the course of 7-tracks. FIFTH has been through a lot and this is just the beginning of a new phase for the young artist.
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