After priding myself on being tapped heavily into the underground music scene, I’m a bit ashamed that I’ve allowed Atlanta native BEAR1BOSS to slip through my fingers for so long. His style is individualistic, his sound is as catchy as it gets, and his personality is simply infectious, and I’ve only known about him for a couple of weeks at this point, so I know there’s still so much more to discover. Although he hails from one of the most notorious Rap cities in the entire country, he almost separates himself from the southern scene by being unapologetically himself and not drawing too much influence from any of his other, more recognized counterparts. In fact, the only thing that makes him even somewhat fit in with the Atlanta music scene is his individuality, because it seems like artists such as Young Thug and KEY! Stick to their unique roots and don’t compromise that for anyone.
I know I’m about a week late to his most recent music video “Hoes Cap”, but when I saw it pop up on my Twitter timeline, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk about it. A beyond bubbly beat is created through effervescent synths or xylophone hits of some sort, providing incredible liveliness that is only elevated by the succinct 808s and lighthearted percussive elements.
As he spits, he delivers one bar at a time, allowing the beat to do some of the heavy lifting as he just floats along with it, speaking quick, unrushed lines in a carefree, blithe manner. His voice is heavily affected with autotune, but these additions only level up the way he fits in on the production, giving it an almost outer space-like vibe. Considering he doesn’t really sing but rather lets the vocal effects bring out melodious qualities within his voice, BEAR almost sounds robotic to an extent, but robotic in a way that helps him stand out from the rest of the underground and prove his dominance in the Georgia capital.
His ad-libs get slightly more harmonious and continue into the hiatuses he takes in between bars, complementing the instrumental and breathing new life into the beat. He does switch up his lyrics at times, but the most memorable lines are the ones in the hook due to their simplicity and catchiness, prompting you to join in and sing along from the moment you hear them. While BEAR might not necessarily win a Grammy for his lyricism, that’s not the point of this record, and he knows that, so just seeing him have fun and nonchalantly make his way throughout this lengthy song is simply fun and easygoing, to say the least.
As for the music video, he takes us to a metropolitan area that is full of colorful sculptures and life, but his outfit of plaid pants, a tie-dyed undershirt, red backpack, and yellow hat, his dance moves, and his vivacious personality gives even more vitality to the scenes he can be seen in. Certain clips show him walking around or dancing as they sped up and fast-forwarded, coupling with the rapid elements of the instrumental nicely and connecting with the song seamlessly. While certain shots are sped up, others are choppy and lagging, giving off the feeling that things are moving so fast, you need to take a moment to recollect yourself and refocus on the visual at hand. Other than the sped up and slowed down scenes, this visual is kept crisp and clean, allowing BEAR to show off his incredibly captivating charisma that is one of the main reasons he has made a name for himself in the underground music scene.
Although this song might not be for everyone, what drew me in was the simplicity and the feelgood vibes that simply radiate from the beat. In addition to this, BEAR’s charismatic disposition brings the record to new heights, and although he might not have the most textbook tunefulness within his vocals, it’s the imperfections that are revealed through the autotune that I honestly think makes this song even better than ever. Once again, I’m relatively new to the sonic world that he has been bringing to life over the past few years so I know I have so much more listening to do, but I can’t wait to tune in even more and catch up on everything I’ve been missing out on for so long. “Hoes Cap” is a wonderful introduction to BEAR1BOSS, so if you’ve been sleeping as I have, make sure you wake up and tune into the latest music video for the rising Atlanta superstar.