Review: Brandon Barbaro's "TwentyTwo" EP
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Brandon Barbaro hits us with his debut EP “TwentyTwo.” Brandon has a laid back flow that reminds me of a mixture of rappers Logic and Big Sean. In a good way. Joints like “Want It”, “We Good”, and Night Out are good songs but lack the polish of an established artist. On these tracks, the emcee raps about work ethic, dealing with the opposite sex, and his ambition to ascend in the rap game. Honestly, the record doesn’t start for me until track four.
“22 The Interlude” is great. Over harrowing production, the emcee outlines his frustration, and confusion with trying to reach his goals with not enough hours in the day. Barbaro rides the kick and snare like a pro. This interlude needs to be a song. “Dreamin” is another great song. The piano loop is memorable and the accompanying percussion is on point. Brandon raps and sings about the trials, and tribulations associated with the pursuit of a female. You can hear the artist’s measurable growth and comfort in his style on this song. “Beautiful Day” is excellent. The head nodding generating production is infectious. Brandon raps about days highlighted by getting high with the homies, gaining material worth through hard work, and just living a drama free life. On “Satisfaction”, the Rockville, Maryland artist asks if he will ever see the gains and spoils from the work he has put into his music. Although he has made countless sacrifices, the emcee seems not too optimistic that it will ever payoff.
"TwentyTwo" has some miscues but that’s to be expected from a fledgling artist. The songs could be longer as the EP comes in just over fifteen minutes. I think the production needs to be more dynamic to contrast the Brandon’s monotone style. Make no mistake I’m eager to hear more from the emcee. Rarely does an artist progress from song to song on their own project.