Each section of the USA has a distinct sound that often makes it fairly easy to identify the region that a particular artist comes from. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and is Amplified. is one of them. From hearing his triple quick cadence, complex rhyme schemes and dominant delivery, one would likely make the assumption that Amplified. represents the Midwest. Wrong. Amplified. is a rapper and singer-songwriter from Santa Cruz, CA.
His latest single, “Look Like”, comes fully supported by an enticing music video on YouTube. The curtain opens on the track where the bass ominously loops over warm keys, stuttering effects and steady percussion, and Amplified. bursts onto the track, frantically spitting out a history lesson on his grind, ambition and the condition of game his in.
Within the first minute, it’s clear he belongs to the dynasty of supersonic rappers. If you try to rap along with Amplified. your brain might implode. There’s a verse in “Look Like”, which is almost impossible to keep up with, as he practically crams an entire song’s worth of words into 15 seconds. Despite Amplified.’s breakneck speed, you can still understand him, making him a top-notch spitter.
He may be among the most quick-tongued rappers in the music industry, but the clarity of his diction makes every syllable easy to hear. Like many great rappers, his knack for poetry also helps make him a talented lyricist, and although he’s fast, he’s also articulate. In fact the main thing that separates Amplified. from the rest of the pack, is his remarkable combination of speed and clarity.
Amplified.’s sharp poetic skills serves as an enjoyable backdrop to his mic-shredding abilities, which are sensational on “Look Like”. It may not come across clearly in print, but generally speaking Amplified. can spit four lines in the amount of time other rappers could barely manage two, with every line coming through clearly.
Amplified. is what classicist hip-hop listeners would call ‘dope’, and he has two essentially ‘dope’ characteristics: his voice and his lyrics. What he does with words is incredible. He hurls them into verses, contorts them around bars, and then reconnects them into multi-syllables loaded with flourishing poetic devices. Like with most great writing, you don’t actually need to understand every single phrase, as long as you grasp the underlying theme or concept.
Amplified. is one of the more interesting artists in today’s quickly disappearing underground scene of technically equipped rappers. Moreover, he matches his extensive vocabulary with a detailed beat. Since Amplified. consistently spits entertaining flows and narrates a commanding storyline, it’s hard for this release not to be a winner.
Amplified. is impressively able to create lucid imagery within his songwriting that is able to reflect an authentic mood that can be felt by any type of rap audience. As the sound of hip-hop continues to grow today with an influx of new wave rappers, Amplified. appropriately reminds us of the importance of lyrical and technical prowess, as well as the amazing traces of artistically rich hip-hop that can still be discovered through the underground scene.
OFFICIAL LINKS: MUSIC, MERCH & SOCIAL STREAMS – LOOK LIKE STREAMS
