The music scene in New York has always been a place of excitement and invention. From the bright lights of its main stages to the darkest alleys that echo the underground scene, New York has arguably seen the start of more genres and movements than anywhere else. One such scene that has been steadily growing in force in the New York ‘Beast Coast Movement’, a modern style of hip-hop typified by artists and collectives such as Pro Era’s Capital Steez and Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, and The Underachievers.
While we might still mourn the 2012 passing of Capital Steez, the Beast Coast Movement hasn’t faltered and it’s found a new voice in The Outcastkid, an eighteen-year-old native of New Rochelle, New York. An artist who prides himself on his lyrical output, his songs are built upon rapid-fire punchlines and deft double-entendres. With his heart set on being signed to Cinematic Music Group, his latest track of ‘Shock Jockey’ is a calculated and purposeful step towards his dream.
With a heavy beat by Boston icon Riddle Beats, ‘Shock Jockey’ opens with a deft sample from Bioshock Infinite, before laying hard and fast into The Outcastkids’ own verse. It’s a short, blitzkrieg style anthem, barely grazing past two minutes in length, but that’s all the time that the track needs. It’s a focused flurry of lyrics that crashes down upon the readymade beat, forming a focussed channel of invention and vision. The track is a frantic slice of the Beast Coast movement, but what’s more, it’s a powerful showing of talent from a young, emerging artist that looks set to make his dream a reality.
You can stream ‘Shock Jockey’ now via SoundCloud above.
Score: 8.5/10
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