At 21 years old, artist Caleb Giles has already played a hand in reinvigorating New York hip-hop, helping to push the city’s historically influential scene into experimental territory. He has been a key player in crafting this sound that’s rooted in jazz and soul with cohorts like MIKE and Slauson Malone (who both dropped standout projects this year) in his circle. On his third record ‘Under the Shade’, Giles pushes his style even further while looking inward for lyrical inspiration.
Giles’ creativity roams unrestricted by any predetermined format or formula. Every track evolves in front of a listener, marked by dynamic rapping and contoured around live, jazzy instrumentation. One song bleeds into another before being abruptly cut off by a skit or sample. It’s an elusive listening experience that keeps you on your toes at the record’s most rewarding moments, which are mostly contained toward the middle of the album. For example, “Syl’s Song” offers up a short-lived moment of bliss before fading out into the bassy groove of “Quicksand”. While the composition of ‘Under the Shade’ may be unpredictable, one quality remains constant: Giles’ inclination toward irregular, tongue-twisting raps where he reflects on darker chapters of his life with an optimistic lens and jaded delivery. This combination of lively production and introspective lyricism offers a panorama of Giles’ artistry, and ‘Under the Shade’ represents one of his most personal offerings to date.