A-F-R-O and Marco Polo are here with their new project, A-F-R-O Polo for all those decrying the lack of lyricism in the crop of younger artists.
Truthfully, it can be taxing to find music that stands out in today’s overpopulated musical landscape and even tougher when we’re talking younger guys who place more of the premium on wordplay than Instagram followers. But, for anyone willing to sift for gold, A-F-R-O, short for All Flows Reach Out, will make the extra work worthwhile.
With six songs in total, the project’s a quick, enjoyable listen where everyone’s favorite Canadian Marco provides his customary boom-bap for A-F-R-O’s barrel-chested delivery. ‘Fro shifts away slightly from the off-the-dome flows that helped him garner attention and works with concepts on a couple of tracks. “Nightmare on Fro Street” is as ghoulish as the title implies, while “Shine and Flowers” mixes a little misogyny with splashes of colorful humor as he talks about the drama-filled girls around the world. Pharoah Monche shows up on “Swarm” while Eamon features on “Use The Blues” and Shylow handles all the cuts. It’s when ‘Fro is paired up with Monche that his poise and potential really shine through as the 18-year-old shows he’s more than able to hold his own with the Organized Konfusion vet.
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But, A-F-R-O’s one of those guys whose take on things when the beat’s off is as impressive as what he’s saying in rhymes. It’s rare to hear a teenager talk about wanting his music to help save a kid’s lifec, the same way artists he looked up to provided him with a ray of hope, and sense the conviction behind his words.
Released via Duck Down, the A-F-R-O Polo EP is available for a free listen before purchasing on iTunes, Amazon and anywhere else in between where good music is sold. Every buy comes with two bonus tracks, “Lair of the Black Worm,” and “Joe Jackson,” too.
Below, take a look at our Uncharted coverage to catch a full glimpse of what focus and talent look like in a teen capable of carrying the torch for hip-hop for years to come.
