Okayché – ‘Hurt Everyone (Including You)’ [EP Review]

Cleveland rapper Okayché takes significant strides forward with his latest offering ‘Hurt Everybody [Including You]’, the second release from the [NOT OKAY] trilogy that sees an alluring blend of darkness and electronic influence within the realms of RnB/Hip Hop.

Okayché creates an emphatic sensation immediately as the EP commences through ‘My Way’, which is achieved through the buzzing synths electrifying the mix immensely. The infectious melody ‘I ain’t got nothing to say/ Nothing can get in my way/ I always get in my way’ builds in cohesion with the gloomy bass line to inject a layer darkness into the soundscape. We see within ‘My Way’ the various layers that lie within the Ohio rapper’s artillery, from 2:24 where the melody intensifies and raises the tempo where we become witness to an impressive display of rap that encapsulates all the raw emotion within the lyrical context.

We see a shift towards a slowing momentum through the latest release ‘Nomore4today’, where initially we are warped into a haunting visual landscape through the harmonised piano melodies counteracting each other to build in cohesion with the minimalistic hats in the percussion to lure us in with much intrigue. The harmonised effect becomes critical to building the intensity within the track as Okayché applies this to his own melodies to further accentuate the passion within. We also see contrasting shades of colour in the vocal delivery of Okayché whereby the depth of his range is showcased with momentary instances of a lowered delivery as well as the effortless mid-range and the strengthened rap melodies well and truly keep us on our toes, not knowing what the remaining duration has in store for us.

‘Magic’ acts as the perfect medium ground between the previous two tracks, whilst standing on its own ground to be a real standout of the release. This is achieved through a central focus on a clever combination of vibrant synths and a deepened bassline that when joined with the head bopping momentum created in the percussion act as the perfect lecturn for Okayché to preach upon. These vocals are heightened further through the manipulation of echoed and lowered vocals that are a testament to the mastery of the production levels on display. ‘Hurt Everybody [Including You]’ rounds itself out with the enthralling ‘Pretty’, which features the production of ohlawditsparis. Lingering across the background of this track lies a haunting melody within the synths that lays a rock-hard foundation amongst the crisp RnB influenced percussion for the charismatic melodies to stand on top of, whether that be the clever counter melodies or the impeccable harmonies that act as a tactical trigger to boost the force within.

Rating: ★★★