Cam Smith – Cannon
4/5
Radiating the confidence and skill of a big-name hip-hop artist, Halifax’s Cam Smith is making a huge leap into the hip-hop scene with his debut, self-produced album Cannon. Partying was a major theme of the album and the tracks reflect the unstoppable energy Smith carries with him everywhere he goes.
The recent passing of his grandfather was a large source of fuel and inspiration for Cannon, and the first song “The Son or the Fall” pays tribute to the incident. The album is not a sombre one however, and the party starts with the “808-flowing” track “Turbo”.
Catchy hooks and choruses are found throughout the album and save a few of the tracks (“Niggas in the Night” being one example), but with a long list of hits, the slow tracks are barely noticeable.
Trap beats and dancehall rhythm take a leading role in the second hit “Nonsense”, keeping the party going and making it difficult not to crank the speakers.
Jumping to the biggest track from the album, “Mad Crack” not only flaunts Cam Smith’s hip-hop producing talents with bass-heavy beats and old school scratching, but his music video creativity with the cinematic accompaniment paying tribute to the aspect of story telling.
“Never Say No” dares to blow speakers with deep, 808 bass forming the foundation for the track, alongside the crisp MCing of Smith.
Synthesizers pull the listener in to “Gold Drapes”, showing the well-tuned experimentation of Cam Smith and his admiration for old school synthesizers and electronic instrumentation.
The aggression-fuelled “Chains & Whips” is one example of why the Haligonian MC is a force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop scene, not only measured by his lyrical ability, but by his impressive production skills.
“Feel the Same” brings a heavy west-coast style to the east-coast and is right up there with big-name artists.
“I Fear Myself” caps off the album by combining chillstep with hip-hop, putting a relaxing finish to the party.
With each track outlined with 808s and synthesizers and a few skits scattered throughout the record, Cannon is the definition of a good time.
“A party ain’t a party until I show up” – Cam Smith.
Listen to the entire album via Exclaim.ca.
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