ESQUIRE IS FINALLY HERE
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On a phone call with a friend recently she said something wonderful that I can’t stop thinking about, “Gifts are meant to be shared, I don’t know why people hold on to them”. That’s how I feel after listening to I Wish You Were Here. I'm mad as hell. And you should be too.
We should all be mad at Esquire for holding on the music all this time. You should be so mad that you stream it on repeat every time you remember just how mad you are.
In his release post, the Toronto rapper admits the COVID pandemic has brought about a different perspective on the urgency of getting his music out there.
“I definitely have had (God forbid) what-if-I-die-and-no-one-hears-my-music thoughts. It’s a little morbid but uncertain death is a good motivator.”
It damn sure is. It would be hard to ignore though that it feels like the album comes at just the right time. Esquire works as a health practitioner during the day and spits bars at night so he’s uniquely positioned to express the feeling of the moment.
Standouts include Alpha Romeo Diamond Life, Silver Surfer, Loaded Die.
If you’re new to Esquire then the effortless flow on “Loaded Die” might shock you. He may have been alluding to street wars but lyrics feel dramatically relevant in the age of COVID, “Times is hard OMG please protect, please bless all my n****s in the trenches.'
I Wish You Were Here is a clever combination of sober melodic and even sometimes abrasive rap over solid production. Full disclosure, I’m a sucker for projects like this. Thoughtful, articulate with it’s ideas and offering a varying range of beat styles that prove Esquire has no reason to ever hold out on us again.
I’m still mad.
