Roses in the Sky
Roses In The Sky is a superlative sequence of music. 2 artists who are consistent in their style, fluent in their emotions, true to their sound and committed to their lyricism.
WaasiKeso, an independent rap collective, has roots that trace to South Florida— cutting them from the same strand of unarguably some of the most virtuoso artists to pace hip-hop since Luke’s painting of Miami Bass into rap’s portrait.
The rap-duo makes untold and unseen efforts to declaim a sound that they’ve, together, confidently fashioned; and coined as “consciously wavy.” Rapping in a way that laces their lyrics and delivery with wisdom that has not yet peaked and matured debonair. Their artistry seems natural and has quickly grown on me after exploring their discography.
Roses in the Sky is the group’s third studio album, a follow-up to “Training Day” in 2019. Having carved out their sound and familiarized their feet with the path they’ve chosen to take their style, this project is them comfortably creating from within their own shoes.
review: No skips allowed. no rewinds allowed.
An album that is lyrically tight and sonically protean. Roses in The Sky is consistent enough that, once I reached track five, I was certain of the sound I expected to hear throughout the project— showing uniformity in each song’s production style.
This project is laced with samples containing soul-gripping loops that are not too subaudible to detect, and quality features to lend a hand in composing it from front to back.
Teaming up with producer DillyGotItBumpin— notable for his work with artists like Russ and Joyner Lucas, the album opens with an overlapping repeat of “Roses in the sky” followed by a warbling loop.
The rap collective allows the expression of their South Florida roots to flourish throughout the project. This was heard over melodious keys usually delivered in conjunction with a blaring 808 and sharp kicks. As well as this, an assist from Broward County luminary, Gank Gaank, on “Awaken,” produced by Kuzu, gave the work a stamp that it would need to solidify the group as the offspring of Florida legends.
R.I.T.S is authentically Florida in sound while still reflective of a custom-made style by the two.
The duo tag-teams during their lyrical assault and each track is not departing nor strays too far from the aura of the one before. They trekked this album while visiting grief, heard on, “8 A.M.” lamenting about the death of lost loved ones and the experience of navigating the news of getting the call of a friend’s passing.
As well as this, giving the listener an emotional showing heard during the lyrical love letters “Care” and “With You;” and occasionally stopping to participate in the usual braggadocio we hear in South-Floridian's— “Chicken Chasin,” prod by ShortyyK, is an exercise and lyrical flexing in addition to it being a fearless message of “bitch I’m a go-getter. I’ll probably do this shit forever.” Carried by a beautifully consistent key pattern, they flowed effortlessly over it for three and a half minutes.
“Like the Sun” is brought in by a low, indistinguishable baritone loop. It resembles, in sound, what I sometimes refer to as “Saturday morning raps.” One that makes the morning worth seeing, and a day job worth enduring— knowing that you’ve been extending your best efforts in all you put your hands to.
“Roses in the Sky,” the title track and one of the album’s lead singles, carries a similar aura to that of Chicago legend, Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick, Push.” Halfway through the song, your ears are met with a heavenly intone. One that sounds, symbolically, like the welcoming of a warm summer sun, followed by a “lemme step in this booth right quick.” Likely an introduction to the display of artistry we are invited into.
Some of the lyrics are delivered with an aggrieved undertone. This is a usual display we see in artists who have put in endless hours and invested so much into their craft. Sometimes they believe they must remind listeners. They need to talk their shit. The duo balanced the album out well with shit-talk and swaggering as well as emotional breakdowns.
Artists aren't artists if they don’t feel. If we feel then we inevitably hurt. If we hurt, we will likely find ways to cope. “Drugs 4 the pain” is a moment on the album. It interrupts the transfer of ideas from tracks 6 to 8 as an interlude almost. It's a moment where the gravity of being an artist is addressed. In the era where rappers flaunt drugs as a hobby, they expose it as an unhealthy vice over a solemn instrumental composed by JiJ— credited for his “Lil Durk type beats” that rack up endless views on YouTube.
“Made it out the Gardens, this shit a miracle.”
“Rivers,” as the album’s outro, is memorable and eased me with a feeling of completion after taking my time with this project. With another team-up with DillyGotItBumpin, we hear the arrival of soul-restoring keys and harmonious gospel-like clapping to close, a way of tying the project together and making it a complete and cohesive composition.
These two deserve all their flowers for this project; and if their garden is empty, it is only because their Roses are In The Sky.
