Drawing us in with astral synths and cosmic vocalizations, Zheemo opens Easy Money with a refined and cinematic energy that expands with piano chords and a “zoom zoom zoom” ad lib. The rising London-based artist shares a familiar tale with the lyrics, “I’m gonna make money, I try not to brag about it, I started at the bottom and I used to be sad about it, most of them rappers rap about it, but they ain’t really bout it…”
The track expands with a high-octane and conscious flow as Zheemo shares his innermost thoughts, vulnerabilities and ambitions with us. The production is tight and manifests as ethereal British hip-hop. The vocal production is refined without too much pitching, it feels really authentic and adds to the high emotional quotient.
The hook is really captivating and memorable, kind of resonating like a mantra for abundance at a time when we need it the most. We appreciate the balance between the confident delivery and the deeper introspection. Fans of Dave, Central Cee, Stormzy, Aitch and Headie One will be able to vibe, but the production quality is showing that Zheemo is on a high quality sonic path of his own.
The prose is clever. Zheemo explores the temptation of quick money whilst acknowledging the difficult choices, questions of loyalty and potential consequences that can accompany the pursuit. We love this duality. Zheemo‘s willingness to explore both sides of this equation lends the track a degree of maturity, moving beyond empty bravado towards a more nuanced portrait of ambition.
Working with producer Veysigz, and written and recorded in London, it is no surprise that Easy Money also received early support from DJ Firestarr on BBC Radio 1Xtra. Cinematically, we can imagine Easy Money landing in Top Boy, Blue Story, The Intent, Ill Manors, Kidulthood, Hustle & Flow, Gangs of London, Snowfall and Supacell.
Naturally, we have added Easy Money to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we stream Zheemo‘s debut single, Talkin’, and anticipate future releases.