New York emcee Prince Wiser is hard at work and with a slew of singles released earlier this year, he returns with his second studio album entitled Grotto. The four-track project sees him working with four different producers who gift him with a mix of soulful, jazz/lo-fi productions that he uses to paint his personal pictures.
The project opens up with the upbeat but soulful jam titled “I’ll Name This Record Later,” where Wiser delivers a fiery and energetic performance over Alan T‘s smooth soundscape. The rapper reminds listeners that he is still on the grind and naysayers should not sleep on his skills. The record also comes with a call and response type chorus with Wiser turning things up for the fun of it.
On “VEYESINE,” he teams up with rapper Oaklin Winthrop and horn player Saxman Noel over a mellow R&B/jazz infused backdrop courtesy of Wiser’s longtime collaborator Soledad Brother. The title is a play on the Visine eye drop but more importantly it dives into what these men have seen from the generational trauma, racial discriminational, and more. The duo has been through it all and sees more clearly now. This is followed by the laidback tribute track entitled “Candice Patton” where Wiser pays homage to the actress of the same name while delivering smooth melodies over the groovy, reflective beat crafted by INTLMC. He is also joined by Saxman Noel who adds a heavenly sax solo to elevate the soothing vibes.
The project wraps up with the insightful and somber 1ST OFFICIAL produced record titled “Land Of The Blind.” Prince Wiser is in his element here and runs through real-time race relation issues peppered with his own experiences from the black viewpoint. . From appropriating the black culture for profit and neglecting the way blacks were treated, he acknowledges that the powers that be are not for black folks. He is quite unapologetic with his words as he sees no hope in white America lending a helping hand and has decided to take matters into his hands to survive.
Grotto is brief and similar to the dictionary meaning it offers a small picturesque creation that listeners can look towards and interpret for what it really means.
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