By Jacob Ezra
Hidden Renaissance are certainly a group you should be paying attention to in today’s underground hip-hop landscape. Glued together by a love for hip-hop and community, the expansive collective helmed by duo T H R O N E have just released their largest collaborative effort ever in their new record BA SING SE. Rarely has such a wide number of artists contributed to a project, with over 200 artists competing to appear on the LP, and the final product manages to remain cohesive throughout. Soulful, lyrically-focused tracks tie the threads together on BA SING SE, with an undercurrent of love and creative cooperation giving the record a uniquely vital atmosphere.
The textural, warm sampling patchwork of songs like “1996 (In the Heart, In the Mind)” and “There’s a way!” are simply beautiful, and when paired with evocative lyricism they become touching. The group keeps it raw as well, with songs like “It gets dangerous” varying the flavors with its gritty soundscape and potent, urgent verses. The cascading, glowing samples of “Heaven’s Resources II” add a touch of surrealism, combining neatly with the track’s detail-rich lyricism. The organic, lo-fi sheen of the project gives it an immersive, layered feeling and makes it easier to sink in to some of these tracks, particularly on the smoky “Jazz Cigarettes” and “And I’m Still Here”.
With its community-first approach to creation, Hidden Renaissance transcends the bounds of a record label or company. It is, instead, a revolutionary community that makes and releases music together as a shared creative experience. Their latest offering BA SING SE marks their largest collaboration ever, with over 200 artists competing to appear on it, crafting more than 300 songs in a 2 month period in the process. The final result is a curated, multi-genre ode and homage to the raw skill and diversity of the underground. Take a listen to their latest project BA SING SE here now, a sonic odyssey of soulful sounds built around a love for community and hip-hop.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 