Growing up around the city of Chicago has always given me an affinity for homegrown talents more so than anyone else in the music industry. I typically try to give Chi-town artists more chances to wow me when discovering new music because I want so badly to enjoy their offerings and support them. With beat smith Luke Almighty, it’s never been a challenge to get into his music because it’s always unique, eye-catching, and of course, it’s always fantastic. I’ve been listening to him for years, and he’s truly run the gamut of working with iconic Chicago talents such as Adot, Freako, Supa Bwe, and BigBodyFiji, among many others. He’s been on his grind for quite some time and he’s had the city in his grasp for a while, so I’m glad that I can say I have always been and will always continue to be in his corner rooting him on. Don’t just take it from me, though. Give any of his music a listen and understand why he’s been buzzing in the music scene for yourself.
Not too long ago, Maryland star Lil Xelly put out a challenge on his social media pages calling on producers to craft a beat for an acapella verse he created and whichever one he enjoyed the most, he’d allow them to use his verse for free. At least, I think that’s how the challenge went, I’m not entirely positive though. Well, unsurprisingly, Luke Almighty was the winner, and the song he created ended up being titled “Windmill”. The competition-winning beat includes a chopped-up sample, rapidly chattering and extremely appealing percussion, and roaring 808s that lay a perfect foundation for the rapper. Luke’s use of samples is nothing new and I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to his style. Not too many producers are using samples in the same fashion as him, so it helps him stand out and differentiate himself without a doubt.
Xelly’s energy is in full effect as usual with this track, and just hearing his lively ad-libs at the beginning gives you a hint that he’s about to destroy his verses. In typical Xelly fashion, however, he allows his ad-libs to continuously keep the energy up while his actual lead vocals are somewhat calmed down and subdued. His flow is hasty and despite some of his words being jumbled together in order to fit into the flow correctly, they’re still understandable and fairly easily comprehensible. Although his energy definitely picks up during his verses and relaxes a bit on the hooks, nothing will beat the absolutely chaotic background additions that the rapper provides, as they just make you want to run through a wall at times. As the track runs its course, Xelly talks about a plethora of topics such as spending copious amounts of money at Saks Fifth Avenue and just balling out now that he can, while also mentioning that for him, his only options in life were playing basketball or trapping.
After hearing Xelly’s vocals on this beat, it’s no wonder why Luke won the contest. It was almost like this was a match made in heaven and I give props to both talents for providing incredible parts to bring this song together. Also, after hearing Lil Xelly spit once again, I’m still in awe at how he’s not more recognized for his abundance of talent. His personality is clearly remarkable, his talents are evident, and he just has an addictive manner about himself that I’ve always had to pay attention to. I’ve been rocking with both of these artists for quite some time at this point and I think it’s about time that people give them the attention and respect that they deserve because they’ve put in their time and shown their worth on several occasions. This lack of respect isn’t going to bother them, though, and they’re going to continue to provide some of the greatest, most under the radar music that anyone could ever even imagine. While others might be sleeping, I’m certainly not, and “Windmill” is being added straight to my playlist. Whether you’ve been rocking with Luke and Xelly for a while as I have, or if this is your introduction to them, you’re definitely going to enjoy the new track from these two artists, so make sure to give it a listen below.