Every day, I get hit up by countless people asking me to check out their music and do a write-up for them. Due to the influx of submissions, it can get overwhelming to figure out who is actually worth checking out and who I can probably pass on. Despite this, there are a few go-to connections that I’ve made throughout my time with Lyrical whose music taste is something I know I can trust, so when one of my homies hit me up and told me about Paycheck 500, I knew I was in for a treat.
Although this is a new name for me, I quickly realized that I’ve been missing out on some incredible music, and his brand-new song “Birdz” is the perfect starting point when getting acquainted with the Louisiana artist. Basedtj, a producer who has worked with Paycheck fairly often in the past, teams up with the rapper yet again to create the incredible foundation for Pay to absolutely body. He does so through mystifying, lighthearted synths of some sort that are brought out of this world with crisp, tapping hats and claps as well as shaking, punchy 808s that bring some muddiness to the otherwise pure, clean instrumental.
As the song takes shape, Paycheck sings some preliminary lines that give listeners a small taste of what’s to come in just a moment. When he does finally come in for the first hook, he begins singing in such a pure, organic way that seems to come naturally to him. His voice is riddled with autotune however it seems abundantly clear that he doesn’t need these vocal effects to sound good, but rather uses them as complementary assistance for his already unique and unbelievable voice.
His words are somewhat slurred and muddled together, and although they’re not abundantly clear, you can still understand and interpret every single line that is being recited as he talks about flying on a jet before referencing all different types of birds or topics related to the animal-like the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, for example. As he begins his verse, he starts at a lower tone, giving himself room to consistently finish each line at a higher pitch and progressively elevate his notes the further on he gets.
About halfway through, he rotates from low to high, delivering short, choppy lines that swap sounds in the blink of an eye, taking you on a metaphorical rollercoaster ride from note to note. Throughout the entire offering, there just seems to be this effortless disposition that he emits with every single word he sings, giving off the impression that he’s not even trying, although his talents would suggest otherwise. As the song begins to come to a close, we don’t get another full-on hook to finish things up, but his vocals are rather placed in the distance, allowing the angelic beat to carry us out of the song in a very relaxing, soothing manner.
After doing some digging to try and find out more about Paycheck, there wasn’t a lot of information to be found, which isn’t surprising considering he’s still working hard to make a name for himself early on in his career. Nonetheless, after skimming through a plethora of other songs from the Louisiana talent, it’s clear that he’s unbelievably talented and has a very versatile, dexterous skill that gives him the opportunity to fit in on a variety of different production styles. I’m often quite particular when it comes to the underground artists I write up because anyone can make music in this day and age of technology, but when I hear about someone like Paycheck 500, I have no doubt in my mind that he’ll continue to impress moving forward. I suggest you get in on his bandwagon now before he truly blows up, because that’s inevitably going to happen sooner rather than later, and “Birdz” is undoubtedly the perfect place to start. While you’re on Spotify, you’ll be even happier to see that he delivered a 2-for-1 special with another song “Shitchea”, so peep that track while you’re there.