Snak is the definition of an up and coming star. He may not have his much sought after credit yet, but it won’t be long. As rap has been evolving from gangster rap, criminal rap, and flat out disrespectful rap, it has as of late gien a more mature breed of performers and listeners to the forefront, dragging them out of the woodwork. Snak is just such a great artist.
Being a humble, white Canadian from British Columbia, Snak may not have the ability to talk about selling drugs in Compton, running with gangs or pimping out girls. But his even, steady flow combined with his raspy, almost straining voice makes him not only sound honest, true and confident but also like he’s excited and eager to tell you what’s on his mind.
Not every one of Snak’s songs is profound, meaningful and mature, though. After all, it IS hip-hop. He has a couple of songs displaying his “screw you” attitude. Declaring himself untouchable in a very accessible market, and making it obvious that he is tough and an all-out bad ass. With tracks like What I Do and Snot Rocket, Snak explains that if “You got a problem and I hear you talkin’ s---/I’mma smack you like a b----“ and lots of talks of drug use and alcohol. However these are simply living up to the conventions that hip-hop has created. Conventions that almost any artist worthwhile has had to adhere to at one time or another.
Snak mixes old-school, East coast beats complete with record scratches, with new school ambient tones and club beats. Snak seamlessly pulls these two completely opposing styles together to offer up a sound that’s not only confident, dangerous and experimental, but also achieves a level of mastery behind it. Snak doesn’t leave his artistic integrity up to chance. Although his harsh, old school songs contrast his new school, radio pleasing songs, Snak knew the transition would be undetectable and, after having heard it, would seem natural to his style.
Style isn’t Snak’s only triumph in his field. He also has a diverse spectrum when it comes to subject matter that he is able to deliver matter-of-factly. As was discussed, Snak’s “F--- you” attitude is only evident in a handful of songs. However his tender, sentimental biography on broken individuals, I Betcha, is not only personal, it’s almost uncomfortable how vivid the pictures he paints are. Snak describes something, a situation that almost every listener will have dealt with or have known someone who has.
Snak’s vocal, stylistic and sensitive experiments are all coming together as a beautiful, new wave type of hip-hop. He’s ambitious, confident and eager to progress to become the rap icon he deserves to be.
Songs to listen to: I Betcha, Zero Tolerance, Dead Gone.
- Justin
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