Rayhan – EP 5
Here in Buffalo, we consider Toronto our neighbors to the North, so we were pleased to receive the latest EP from Canadian artist, actor, and comedian Rayhan Jabbar. On his latest offering, a three-song EP he’s titled EP 5, Jabbar flexes all of his creative muscles into something all-encompassing and undefinable. Between art, acting, and music, if you had any questions about Jabbar’s multi-talented nature, this EP shifts wildly between hip hop, indie pop, and… Bollywood? You read that right.
Obviously as fellow snow belt dwellers, a song like “Windchill Minus Twenty” might appeal to us, especially as February temperatures plummet to that point regularly… Although we’re probably talking Fahrenheit here in the US – that’s probably much, much colder where Rayhan’s from. Here, he uses a tough and glitchy beat to rap about how “selling drugs is a right of passage,” and the journey from being a drug-slinging youngster to a college-bound adult (and all the challenges in between). For someone who has never personally sold drugs for cash, it feels odd to think about someone funding their passion for acting with said illicit funds – but that’s exactly who Rayhan is and, judging by his lyrical prowess, it seems to have benefitted him handsomely. The song’s bassline pulses and grooves with snappy percussion driving it forth – all the while, Rayhan’s giving us no-punches-pulled insight into his rough and tumble upbringing. It’s hard, and honest, and real, and while you listen to EP 5, it becomes evident that that’s all that really matters to Rayhan.
Song two, “Basic” is a hard shift into indie-pop – ultra catchy and lighthearted, this one doesn’t quite drop the “gang shit” mentality, but instead takes the opportunity to delve more into catchy details like cotton candy-flavored Jägerbombs and good weed in Berlin. I’ve never heard an album that jars so abruptly between hip hop and airy indie-pop like this one, but that seems to be part of the thrill for Rayhan… This is what he came up with, this is what he recorded, and it’s him encapsulated. Heavy hitting hip-hop or ebullient indie-pop – it doesn’t matter – Rayhan does whatever he wants.
Lastly, Rayhan shifts into Bollywood-sample mode, offering an instrumental called “Botta.” More of an attempt at inspiring movement than a stereotypically-structured song, “Botta” shoots (and scores) on a get-on-the-dancefloor vibe. While this one is more of a mood-setter (as opposed to the storyteller vibes of his previous offerings), it’s another indication that Rayhan’s mind works in mysterious ways. Whether it’s a Bollywood sample or a lightly strummed acoustic guitar, it doesn’t matter. Seriously – the medium literally doesn’t matter for this guy. It’s just Rayhan being Rayhan, and for that, we can’t recommend it enough.
EP 5 is out now – check it out on Spotify.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna