Ezzy’s still a familiar name and face to most fans, but that’s only going to last for a little longer. The Cleveland rhyme spitter is currently in the spotlight after appearing as one of the stars in The Land, the coming of age flick that also included Machine Gun Kelly and was executive produced by Nas. Ezzy’s also featured on the film’s soundtrack for the tune “Goodbye,” his “love letter to the streets” for which there’s a newly released video.
The song may be for made for a movie but it’s composed of everything Ezzy’s displayed thus far, dating back to his Everything Ezzy tape and that one time he absolutely killed it on Sway’s show. His rhymes are mature beyond his years and he spits in a way that’s so composed he could be mistaken for a veteran MC with ease.
What he does with “Goodbye” is create a song that’s an extension of the flick but very well be as much autobiography as anything else. Ezzy explain to his hometown how much he loves the place, but the same streets are the ones he has to leave behind in order to grow as a person and an artist. He spits, “You taught the art of finessin’ and I thank you for that, Then you send my brother to prison, I could hang you for that” and it’s then that many will be able to relate to the give-and-take attached to the cities that raise them. In Ezzy’s case, he loves Ohio but he knows his destiny requires him to leave in order to make them proud. Like, if this song had existed in 2010, LeBron could’ve played it as the theme song to “The Decision.”
The video itself benefits from having Nas and Mass Appeal’s backing because it’s spearheaded by the movie’s director Steven Caple Jr.. There are images of the people and places who make up Ez’s neighborhood, these perfect transitions to recreations of album covers by Common, Kendrick and Cole, plus a whole storytelling vibe that plays out well on the screen. The Cole comparisons are very noticeable however Ezzy’s making it known he’s his own artist. And the older he gets, it’s that much better Ezzy gets as he’s able to transform his experiences into music in a way that’s unrivaled.
