Out of all of the musicians in Chicago that are making some of the most unique types of music, Valee is one of my all-time favorites. While outsiders might look at his effortless flows and lack of enthusiasm as a weakness, these qualities draw me in more than I could have imagined because he makes things sound so easy and natural when the different flows and cadences he utilizes are anything but easy.
In his most recent record “10nidwendu”, he recruits Bandland ZZ who is a Chicago emcee I was previously unfamiliar with, but after taking a listen, it makes perfect sense why the Chicago sensation decided to incorporate this rising talent in his record. As for the instrumental produced by Ayochillmannn, a hasty and almost troublesome piano melody plays out behind some intense percussion and some pungent kick drums that provide a bit of swiftness to the track. On the hook, Valee pretty much repeats the title of the song over and over in his nonchalant demeanor, and while I’m still not entirely sure what this phrase or word means, Valee makes it sound as smooth and cool as can be. When Bandland goes in, he has a similar raspiness within each and every word he spits as well as a recognizably laid-back disposition, and while his vocal pitch might be slightly higher than Valee’s, he works almost too well next to the Chicago spitter. Finally, Valee continues his tranquility into his verse as well, showing off some of his trademark lyricism as well as some inventive new flows that only he can pull off so gracefully.
Fortunately, Valee decided to give this song some more life in the form of a music video shot by up and coming director Antoinne Bryant, and while the results might be fairly barebones, I can’t help but praise the final product because even though Valee might be getting bigger and bigger by the day, he still remembers his roots and sort of pays homage to the classic music video style that became huge in Chicago almost a decade ago. Whether the two talents are chilling in a car with the windows down, hanging out in the bed of a pickup truck, or vibing out in the middle of a parking lot, their visual personalities match the vibe of the song flawlessly and I’m all here for this record.
Furthermore, while many of Valee’s songs and music videos might seem basic to some, there’s a lot more thought and effort that goes into the end product than one might think. One of my favorite parts of the video which might not be obvious to certain people came in the parking lot scenes. While many other artists might have their entire group of friends jumping around and going wild, Valee’s crew rather stands relatively still and emotionless which is somewhat comical while also not overshadowing the record or the talents themselves. Overall, “10nidwendu” is another awesome addition to Valee’s extensive list of hits, and if you haven’t heard it yet, you’re going to want to take a moment and tune in.