CREEPIN/FURTHER (2 IN 1) by Proklaim is a genre-bending manifesto of purpose; unruly, unadulterated, and full of emotional fuel. And what he brings here is not merely music, but a twofold experience that is simultaneously intimate and culturally broad.
The track is a two-part piece, and is a dynamic experience, CREEPIN establishing a haunting and introspective mood using its eerie bassline and dark strings. It has a nice tension that is being held at bay, almost asking the listener to challenge what is more profound. Then FURTHER hits: a colorful switch-up that brings the energy of a dance-floor, driving bright percussion and Amapiano influences that no one can sit still to.
It is the voice of Proklaim that actually forms a liaison between these two sides. His performance is such that whether rapping with his characteristic sharp precision or gliding into soulful melodies, he does so with the attention of the audience. It has an improvised feel to his flow like every verse is ripped right out of the moment- raw, uncut, and unapologetic. This is something you can hear was not worked out in the old-fashioned sense, it was lived and that is what counts.
It is the mixture of boom bap and South African club rhythms that result in something truly new, an atmosphere that seems global and yet earthy. The use of sampling on the Shaka Zulu mini-series introduces cinematic touches to the music, grounding it in some cultural relevance, as well as moving it toward the future.
CREEPIN/FURTHER is more than a sonic experiment, it is also Proklaim believing in music as a source of connection; between styles, between people, between histories. It is a strong movement demonstrating how the hip hop can be developed without the soul. This is no rulebook release–it rewrites the rules. And in this, Proklaim makes his claim as an artist not to be put in a box. It is heartfelt hip hop, movement with purpose.
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