The gap-tooth rapper is back! Believe it or not, there’s a white-boy rapper from Seattle who’s four albums deep in the habit of killing it, and his name isn’t Macklemore. Rhymesayers’ prodigal Pacific Northwesterner Grieves is on a killer streak following the release of his fourth album Winter & The Wolves, a fine time for his spotlight as Crave’s Band of The Month featured artist.
Winter & The Wolves blossoms widely beyond Grieves’ poetically lush 2011 Rhymesayers debut Together/Apart, and defies the current industry rush to recreate the pop-rap stylings of another Seattle flowmaster. Sidestepping the tired trope of arrogance & conquest, the young MC lays out relatable struggles through poetically lush & vivid lyrical narratives that indicate not only a sharp upward trajectory of personal evolution, but a determination to connect to a core humanity. Melancholic rhymes over deliciously minimalist slow-drip production combines for an atmospheric weight that convey the lyrics’ hardships and heartbreaks, but isn’t mired in negativity and gloom.
For his first CraveOnstage performance as our Band of The Month featured artist for June, Grieves delivers the mojo with “Shreds,” a third-act gem off Winter & The Wolves with the kind of infectious chorus that digs inside the mind on an all-day loop with an air of persevering through the storms with a subtle strut and a smirk.
Years of relentless touring and dedication to the craft have yielded a strong balance of sound and a promising new chapter in the career of the man born as Benjamin Laub. The self-proclaimed love-song rapper’s alt-soul lyrical acrobatics hopscotch the web of life, love and loss through a romantic’s lens on his latest offering, and we can’t wait to see where he heads next.
Check back next week for our exclusive interview with Grieves, as well as another CraveOnstage performance from our session with the Rhymesayers export. While you’re at it, keep up with Grieves at his official site, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Previous Band of The Month Performances:
Alain Johannes / Grieves / Steel Panther / Vintage Trouble / Semi Precious Weapons
Hot Karate / RX Bandits / Nico Vega / The Mowgli’s / Dessa / Everlast
The Wild Feathers / The Silent Comedy / LP
Photo: Johnny Firecloud
