Alex Piveyski was taking a nap in the backseat of the car pictured above.

A few weeks ago, in a post about Haleek Maul, Jeff mentioned how “no one enters the league fully formed anymore.” He referred to young rappers at large and I’m inclined to agree; especially since my homebase at Steadybloggin’ has had some success with (guardedly) spotlighting several such developing youngsters. There’s nothing wrong with starting young and growing as your career does, but the hyperbolic praise some of these kids receive simply doesn’t measure up to their skill level.

By contrast, here’s an up-and-comer who could use more blog love, not less. LG is currently about 17, hails from New Orleans and sites Nas as his main influence. He doesn’t indulge most of the proclivities that fuel the current underground generation. He is not weird, he’s not angst ridden, he doesn’t treat drug use as an achievement or a lifestyle, he is not obsessed with paying homage to any specific style or era of rap, and he doesn’t seem to care much about fashion. His subject matter is unpretentious, the stuff of a thousand other rap songs. What sets him apart from the rest is simple skill.

While he may not be particularly flashy or cutting edge or even original, LG has shown a strong knack for making good straightforward rap songs. And he does this with a certain confidence beyond his years. His lyrics may not be particularly profound, but his polished aesthetic feels mature. His delivery is assured, his beat selection always apt, the production and mastering impeccable. The end product isn’t just superior among his age group, occasionally it outshines music made by older artists. I’m even tempted to guess that there is a wiser hand guiding his artistic choices, and if that’s really the case then his mentor deserves a lot of credit. Whoever he may be, he’s clearly giving LG some good advice.

As I write this, I wonder if I’m making the same mistakes mentioned above. It’s possible that I’m giving LG too much credit to sway the reader to his cause. He’s not a prodigy — not every song he makes is great. Synth Sounds, the mixtape which ‘I’m Good’ is taken from, delivers about 7-8 high quality tracks then slips up and loses focus in the second half. As good as his highlights are. he delivers them inconsistently. There is still much for him to improve on. So let me tone down the praise and let’s just enjoy his music for what it is – the work of a promising rookie who entered the league a little more fully formed than the rest.

Watch:

Download:
ZIP: LG – Synth Sounds (Left-Click)