Music Reviews

“SHOES” is a solid piece of work from up-and-coming Korean-American rapper LATE LEE. A valiant effort from a young man just scratching the surface of what he can do.

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Release Date: March 31 (SoundCloud)
Label: Empty Sunrise
Available on SoundCloud, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, and more[/x_toc]

LATE LEE, formerly As If, founder of collective Odd Folks, has been poking around the underground rap scene for a few years now. Through multiple transformations and life-altering experiences the young man has kept a deep hunger in his gut to make a name for himself. That appetite gave way to his first full body of work, the “SHOES” EP.

 

So much of LATE’s soul is right up front. The Intro’s composition speaks to a life lived in the discipline of music. From the first note there are no surprises. The listener understands that this is going to be an album rife with melodies and an MC’s desire to introduce himself with as much honesty as possible.

A track that saw first light in an Instagram video, “Grungy Love” begins the album in earnest. Jonathan Sim’s production is gorgeous. A dreamy affair, the song creeps over the horizon on a filter-muffled whisper, like sunrise peeking through an early-morning mist. LATE’s delivery is what you’d expect from someone just taking his first steps as a fully realized artist. There are glimmers of a newer MC in him, some baby fat that makes itself most known when he attempts to ride the melody itself. It forces his delivery to come out stilted and unsure. However, when he finds himself involved in the song’s atmosphere, there’s an ease indicative of someone in love with music. It’s the classic dilemma of thinking too hard: trying desperately to cling on to the composition because it’s what you believe you must do.

This lack of confidence manifests itself in the need to devolve into stereotypical ad libs (faux Birdman chirps many Korean-descent rappers rely on to posture as “hardcore” MCs). The sounds distract from what LATE’s trying to accomplish, acting instead as a deterrent for anyone who’ll see through the masquerade and may opt to move on to something different. It’s an unfortunate aspect of his rapping that rankles, mostly because it undermines his potential.

“Sold” gives us our first glimpse of the more abrasive side of LATE. There’s something deceptively playful about the track, as if the listener is on his way to a very sinister carnival. It’s an intriguing melody, both eerie and atmospheric. It would be the perfect platform for an artist like LATE if it weren’t for the intrusiveness of some of the smaller elements.

Again we get more of the manic chirping. The unnecessary vocal effects induce a heavy sigh and eye-roll. Sprinkling them throughout the track does more to annoy than convince any listener that we’re dealing with a serious artist. “Sold” was better left off the EP, released maybe as a standalone if only to dissociate it from LATE’s debut effort. In the future, it’s best he keep the flourishes in the outtakes. “Sold” could have stood on its own legs with the better parts of LATE and AP’s respective verses without the theatrics. The trills just show desperation, a cry to the listener that the MCs feel they have something to prove.

With help from FLANNEL ALBERT, “Star” certainly raises the bar on the EP. Amidst all the brash declarations throughout the album, “Star” stands out because of how understated it is. LATE and FLANNEL have an undeniable chemistry, an ability to mesh voices and visions to create a track that’s as stunning in production as it is in delivery.

LATE is at his most impressive. There are a few false starts, a few moments where the melody outruns him despite his best efforts to keep pace. But overall this is another instance in which the music seemed to speak to him. He seems to be at ease with his surroundings, as if taking a stroll down a familiar street. It makes his delivery more believable. His husky voice at the song’s first bridge is a welcome surprise. With “Star” he allows the melody to be his companion as opposed to a guide holding his hand through the song.

Here too FLANNEL is perhaps at his most musical, just in terms of the tone and tenor of his delivery. Relying mostly on his singing voice here, he pours silk over ferocious lyricism. One can tell that the man was inspired, as if the melody sparked a creative fire within him. His voice is resonant and steady, making “Star” a song that acts as a defining moment on the EP.

The EP’s final song is by far its most aggressive. Taking obvious nods from the Tyler the Creator song of the same name, “Who Dat Boy” gives LATE the opportunity to flex on a track, to give his ego a little room to breathe. Though considering the more melodic offerings prior to the EP’s ending, it may come off a bit disingenuous, an attempt to show that he can be just as hardcore as anyone else. The posturing is unnecessary, but one can’t deny the drive and punch of the track has its merits.

There’s a nastier edge to LATE’s delivery, a grittiness that may be unexpected for those unused to his music. But take it as a bit of reminiscence on LATE’s part, a look back to his humble origins as trap-rapper Display. The song also acts as another instance in which one can see the ingenious behind LATE’s choice of collaborators. Hoonzie the Cla$$ic matches LATE’s grit with his own sharp tongue. The duo make full use of the production, elevating the sparse beat to a platform for their ministrations.

Conclusion

“SHOES” is a solid piece of work. What does stand out are the collaborations. Not because they outshine him. Quite the contrary. LATE has an ease with those he works with that translates to some truly impressive offerings. There’s the sense that everyone involved is building something special, creating a piece of work that could very well be the tipping point to something monumental for all involved.

The collaborations are effortless, creating an environment on this album of familiarity. It allows the listener to take in the EP wholistically. However disjointed the album may seem at times, there is a story being told here. It’s fitting that its title is “SHOES.” This is LATE taking a journey through his experiences, going through the process of creating his own sound and voice, then following his footsteps back to where it all began. It’s both a walk to who he is now, and then back to who he was as if to say, “I haven’t forgotten you.”

LATE’s flow is indicative of someone navigating his way through the genre, finding his voice, his own cadence. However, Lee is a technician. Make no mistake, this is a man who knows music, has lived with it in his heart since he was a child. His delivery at times seems rushed, a bit forced as if he’s attempting to convince himself of his prowess as an MC. But what he may lack in experience and sophistication he makes up for with vision and a real desire to express himself honestly, no frills or filters.

In that way “SHOES” is the perfect debut. By no means exceptional, what it does is introduce the world to a man with the potential for greatness. It’s the type of drive to improve his craft that endears a rapper like LATE to a discerning public. A valiant effort from a young man just scratching the surface of what he can do.

 

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Edited by Lena