Atlanta has long been home to some of hip-hop’s most unique characters dating back to Outkast‘s emergence, which not only opened the doors for southern rap in the mainstream, but also gave ATL emcees confidence to be as epically strange as they are today. Over the last year we’ve seen artists from Young Thug to Raury rise to prominence and their vastly different styles are a true testament to the diversity of creative minds coming out of the area. In the midst of countless burgeoning Atlanta artists, Rome Fortune has managed to stand out carving out a multi-faceted sound all his own.
After a series of impressive releases, Fortune’s debut project premiered on Billboard yesterday and it’s a must listen for hip-hop fans looking for music that pushes the genre forward. Small VVorld has a distinct abstract feel to it as Rome Fortune delivers his laid-back vocals over a truly impressive range of instrumentals. Aside from far-out production courtesy a few of the South’s many talented beat makers, Fortune teams up with experimental, electronic producers Four Tet and Bassnectar displaying an aptitude for songwriting over dynamic production. Although the emcee features are light, his tracks with oft-collaborator OG Maco display a clear chemistry and the cut “FriendsMaybe” with iLoveMakonnen is one of the most fun, memorable moments of the project.
In some ways, Fortune’s steez on the microphone over ethereal production brings to mind the “cloud rap” popularized by Bay Area acts like Main Attrakionz, while maintaining Atlanta’s trap influences and developing a compelling narrative. The result is one of the most progressive, creative rap projects of the year that we would describe in short as cloud-trap rap. Stream the whole project, and grab the free download, below.
DOWNLOAD: Rome Fortune – Small VVorld
