One of my favorite parts about the music scene in Chicago is the diversity of sounds that artists are producing constantly. There are certain subgenres of Hip-Hop and Rap that sound so unique and different that it’s hard to fathom they’re from the same iconic city, let alone the same planet in general. Although Valee might seem as if he’s making some of the most minimalistic music out, it’s truly anything but. The amount of time and effort he must put into his unmatched flows as well as his always entertaining lyricism has to take an abundance of effort, and these inventive aspects of his music have constantly compelled me to tune into every new release he puts out.
Most recently, he dropped off a loosie in the form of a song called “Rice” as well as a visual to accompany it. Valee’s singles are often quick hits of artistry that barely last longer than a minute which allows him to get in, make some magic, and vanish, with this release being no different. KiltKarter takes the helm on the production for this hit, using lighthearted, space-like synths that are elevated by crisp, tapping percussion and unique, thumping drums that provide an uncharacteristic rhythm that pairs with Valee’s flow perfectly. Valee comes in with segmented bars, speaking a few words at a time while clearly separating each bar and making sure to annunciate his lyrics so you don’t miss a single one.
His disposition is calmer than anyone else in the entire industry, coming off almost as if he’s trying to talk as if to not allow himself to fall asleep. I know my description might not make this delivery sound impressive, but it truly does pair with the unconcerned nature of the beat perfectly. Before you know it, he hops back into one more quick hook to lead us out of the track, and he once again perfects his musical Irish goodbye with such a quick exit. Before he leaves, though, he shows listeners just how creative he can get through his various wordplays and similes that might be somewhat comical at times, but they’re some of the most original lyrics in the entire Rap game without a doubt.
As for the video, Valee has been known to take viewers to some out of the box locations that might not be seen in visuals for other artists, and once again, this video is no different. It opens up with him sitting on a couple of hay bales before quickly transitioning to a wider shot of him standing out front of a bright red barn with white trim details. In front of the barn, he stands with no shirt on and the rest of his clothes have to be designer, but I never get a good enough look to make an educated guess as to what brands he’s wearing. Regardless, he dances and jumps around, spits his bars, and lights a blunt as he just vibes out to the relaxed song. Some of the other shots show him behind a fence as well as inside of a Bobcat construction vehicle where he continues to smoke and recite his lyrics to the camera. There aren’t a ton of noticeable effects used throughout, but the camera moves around with him in each quick slip and it comes in and out of focus, adding a sort of run and gun-like style to the video.
Although I think Valee truly shines when he releases full, cohesive projects because they show off his various skills side by side, I still thoroughly enjoy his singles as well. It has been a good amount of time since the last time I saw he released something so this was definitely a nice refresher, but I hope that he keeps the momentum going and continues to release new music for fans to listen to and enjoy. I also truly like all of the random settings he picks for some of his videos because although they might not have anything to do with the song itself, it still adds some differentiation and freshness to these releases. I’m excited to see what else Valee has up his sleeve before the end of the year, but for now, make sure you tune into his brand-new song “Rice” and check out the video for it whenever you find some time.