Oakland is beasting right now: Marshawn Lynch, a city native and skittle-chomping, media-hating champion is one of the most beloved players in the NFL; Chef Curry has the Warriors looking ready to cut the nets and will likely raise at least one MVP trophy this summer. The new era of Bay Area rap is upon us. And then there’s Fantastic Negrito, who actually sounds like a virtuoso.
Above is a downplayed version of the song “An Honest Man,” featuring a ballsy Fantastic Negrito taking to the streets of Oakland, contorting his face every which way to hit the notes. The acoustics are refreshing, especially after listening to nothing but auto-tuned rap hooks for 3 hours at your desk. You can play the full EP below (which features the studio cut).
The rest of EP2 shows off his Bruno Mars-level pipes getting treated to his Black Keys or Gary Clarkian stringplay. Which also means “it goes,” and you could play it for just about anyone and they would probably enjoy it.
Season 2 of True Detective will take place between Los Angeles and The Bay. Fantastic Negrito sings on “An Honest Man,”
“Cause I want everything for no reason / Cause yesterday it felt so good, but today it feels so bad. These streets got me wanderin’, lookin’ for my fix again. / I should have paid the Chinese girl, now I’m losing everything I have. / Yesterday it felt so good, but now today it feels so bad.”
He’s losing everything and he should have paid the Chinese girl? The intrigue! He wants everything and he can’t stop looking for his fix? The drama! Doesn’t this sound like shadowy projections of the 101 draping Vince Vaughn’s dome? Of Colin Farrell lurking in Chinatown? This should score the intro for True Detective season 2 (Word to Chris). Everybody Tweet Scott Vener.
