Review by @CopaseticSoulz
“A thoughtful storyteller wise beyond both his years and his genre, it’s no surprise to learn that Reign — an acronym for Rhyme Energy In God’s Nature — is studying film and perfecting the arts of directing and editing. He’s long had a gift for painting moving pictures through his carefully crafted narrative rhymes, which are as soulful in lyrical content as they are in sound.
If Reign doesn’t make you see things differently, he’ll articulate what you’ve been trying for years to describe.”
This is King Reign’s 1st full length solo album, despite an extensive discography of EP’s & singles, ‘Sincere’ is his most ambitious project to date. Reign is taking his artistry to another level, for the first time, incorporating more singing into his songwriting. This new shift in Reign’s focus is prevalent throughout the album and adds another dimension to every track. There is more singing here than you will find in Reign’s entire career. King Reign fans will appreciate how different his approach is on this project. You can tell his years of writing hiphop have translated into a unique style of songwriting that he works into his bass heavy rap lyrics. ‘Sincere’ is beautifully produced, each song evolves dynamically and avoids the expected monotonous structure found in most hiphop music.
Each track has a distinct feel to it but the title track ‘Sincere’ is where you start to hear the effort he’s putting in trying to expose more of himself and connect honestly with his audience. This is the controlling idea that sets the tone for the album, whether he’s wading in the depths of social politics or weaving stories about real life, his ideas seem connected which helps to make the themes fit musically. His rapping style is poetically mercurial as he controls the pace and uses it to both build and release tension. There’s an honest push from Reign toward meeting his audience on a more intimate and personal level. This intention is recognizable throughout the album and encourages the listener to more fully identify with each song.
It’s worth mentioning that the featured artists do an absolutely amazing job. Leila Day and Shi Wisdom bring an unexpected and refreshing element to the music; like a sorbet, cleansing the palette of the listening experience.