Heads up: all Canadian rap doesn’t sound like Drake (thank goodness). Rapper and songwriter Kachinga, hailing from London, Ontario, is in fact the antithesis of Drake in a number of ways. With a sort of indie beat style, varied verse rhythms and not a hint of whiny Drake-style singing or auto-tune, Kachinga’s first solo album, Sky Falling, brings hip hop and rap back to its golden days of Nas and Mos Def with a totally new and modern take.
Kachinga started rapping with a collective in Ontario called Skool City, having released two innovative EPs which challenge hip modern hip hop norms, but has now teamed up with Lava Cru to help produce Sky Falling. The album released on February 28 and is 23 tracks of really well-written hip hop, from verse to beat. Kachinga has also released two videos for the singles “Balance” and “New York.” Many of these tracks are very short, meant to be statement vignettes, perhaps to set a tone.
Kachinga gives some more insight into the album and specifically the song “Balance” and its beautifully stark video in an interview released on YouTube. He talks about rap technique in this video, breaking down the song’s content and depth. This is quite a novel idea and should really engage fans as to the process and what the rapper thought about when creating the lyrics for this track.
Sky Falling is truly a beautiful first effort from Kachinga and Lava Cru and it seems that they have infinite creative potential to push the boundaries of hip hop even further, not to mention the album’s club and remix potential. Kachinga and the Cru are definitely ones to follow and Sky Falling is more than definitely worth a listen.
Sky Falling is out now and streamable on Lava Cru’s Soundcloud and YouTube Channels. Check back with the YouTube channel for more videos. The album can be purchased on Google Play and iTunes, with a Spotify playlist coming soon.
