The Southwest United States has a small but growing hip hop scene. The notable names from the region tend to be from Arizona and Texas. The notable names coming out of the Southwest are Rezcoast Grizz, Lil Prada, BigXThaPlug, Nelo, Alexx Cloud, Def-I and now this artist.
Every once in a while there will be artists who surprise our editorial team. Sometimes these rappers who pop up from the unknown are due to a marketing campaign that gets seen or due to some genuinely creative music. Knowingly this article might upset some people, rappers and even fans.
This artist surprised the team with their EP Solar Wars. Azoe and MK Menace are entirely new to us and with this project it just might be the best thing out of the region in a hot minute. Now before every single rapper in the Southwest starts writing in and complaining about this opinion, take note, this is just an opinion.
The project has a coordinated effort to create a musical composition that is fresh. It is different than the typical and overly used 808s and fast paced BPM that is used to create energy that isn’t necessarily there. The beats use a synthesized sound that sounds like older funk styles with a clear rap attitude and perspective. The two rappers Azoe and MK Menace have a balance and agreement between their different flow styles. The vocal effects make the whole project sound unlike anything else on streaming today. The track names are spirited and not like names you expect to see from a rap album or EP.
The music made me feel a type of way that had me looking for their other music. MK Menace in his previous project has a diminished production value from this current EP. The lyrical content is similar but the production on Solar Wars highlights MK Menace’s style in a way that his previous projects did not do. Azoe’s previous work has a similar situation. The rhythm and style are still there but the production value was not at this height. Overall the entire project has the replay value you want out of the rap game and you would be foolish to pass this one up. Solar Wars by Azoe and MK Menace out now. Go stream!