Still Hear

iTunes Review

A veteran underground artist from Chicago, Thaione Davis has been making music and releasing albums independently since the nineties. On Still Hear, his sixth solo piece, he joins forces with Rashid Hadee, an immensely talented producer who has worked with N.C. heroes Little Brother and impressive up-and-comers Chapter 13. The result is 15 tracks of top-shelf hip-hop, loaded with passionately delivered lyricism that is both personal and relatable, draped over some immensely soulful, absolutely elegant beatwork. Sweeping strings, punchy snares, and well-placed vocal clips pepper "Problems," while "Observation Incomplete" is a smile-inducing flashback to the early days of pause-loop tapes and rapping through headphones. Wailing guitar snippets create a perfect backdrop to the rugged rhymes on "Subliminal," and the fluttering harps of "Inside Your Mind" set a romantic tone that matches the cooly seductive prose. Limited guest spots and that classic one producer/one emcee formula further adds to the cohesive sound.