Beats Motto – ‘Yukon’ - BROKEN 8 RECORDS

An enigmatic, Athabascan/Inupiaq artist from Fairbanks, Alaska, Beats Motto is arguably one of hip-hop’s most intriguing hidden talents. A producer, engineer, and owner of the growing Good Villain brand, Beats Motto has been filling YouTube with a growing arsenal of old school rap anthems, racking up views and making his mark on the underground scene. Cut from the same cloth as Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, MF DOOM, and Andre 3000, Beats Motto has been recently launched himself into the spotlight, laying siege to the mainstream with the release of new single ‘Yukon’.

A sparce, melodic single, ‘Yukon’ revels in lo-fi aesthetic, brining only the bare essentials and stitching them into an intoxicating medley of dark, howling tone and defiant bass notes. Musically, it’s long, repeating refrain of simple sounds and dark ambience, sitting back and content to let all focus fall up Beats Motto’s vocals. Thankfully, that’s where he excels, delivering a constant, park-spoken, part-rapped sound that dances between street poetry and minimalist rap.

With sharp verse and a seamless, dynamic flow, Motto Beats shows his power and proficiency behind the mic, layering wistful, nostalgic verse with a confident and creative edge. Lyrically, the song is packed will deft emotive imagery and scenes of brighter days, offering lines like ‘Lead me to the Yukon, made me think of you, make me think of us, back when we were kids” with clarity and undeniable sentimentality. It’s an engaging song to be sure, one that draws you in with a complex barrage of raw beats and unyielding human moments.

Rough cut, but all the better for it, ‘Yukon’ fits perfectly into the more expressive, lo-fi style of hip-hop, one that shies away from overblown cliches and brings the genre back to bare essentials. Relatable, enjoyable, and imbued with a fledgeling spark of cinematic brilliance, it’s an essential new release from one of Alaska’s most promising independent talents.