There’s something almost genuinely scary about coming across an extremely skilled underground musician.
The feeling of realizing there exists a person whose craft had been refined to such an extent, despite being without the recognition they had so deserved, is just all too humbling of a revelation to accept. A type of personal defeat that could only be brought forth by one’s inability to consume beyond the mainstream.
With that being said, the only thing scarier to me than thinking about the masterpiece that is Hamza Abo$$’s “I’m Not Perfect”—is wondering what could possibly come next from him.
Abo$$’s debut album, which was officially introduced into the public over a month ago, reveals a level of lyrical quality and production that genuinely cannot be understated. It is an album that is brimming with talent, both from Abo$$ himself, and from the various other rappers and producers that he had chosen to collaborate with. Each song eloquently manifests some type of earnest concern for its respective subject matter, be it life, relationships, family, poverty, and success—and they all sound pretty damn good, too.
The album opens with “Brief Message,” a song that serves as a great introduction to both the album’s sounds and it’s themes. The track’s first four lines immediately set us up with the type of introspective lyricism that the rest of the album subsequently remains loyal to.
“Facing my plate been a problem causing me nausea/
I won’t swallow the truth if honestly bothered/
You call it bitching, I chalk it up to my appetite/
I think a lot, I oughta speak my heart and keep it light”
And to Abo$$’s credit, he very much does. Tracks from the album follow an almost monologue-esque exploration of thematically pertinent topics, those of which are further developed by this seemingly ubiquitous sense of poetic diction and rhythm present within the project. “I’m not perfect” unveils some nice, chill, extremely fun, and catchy beats to its listeners; and manages to deliver an especially harmonious sound relative to its surprisingly intricate narrative.
One of my personal favorite aspects of a lot of Hamza Abo$$’s music is the way in which he delivers his songs to his listeners. Many of Abo$$’s songs don’t really feel as if they’re being sung or rapped to you. The song that exemplifies this the most—and happens to be my personal favorite!—is “War Memoirs,” the seventh track on the album. “War Memoirs” opens with Abo$$, praying to God lamenting his troubles with staying financially afloat. It’s some extremely strong and personal stuff—Abo$$ exposes himself completely while displaying little to no regard for the listener’s presence.
The project’s two music videos, “Carpe Diem” and “Trust Issues,” work great—both individually and as a pair. The video for “Carpe Diem” is super upbeat and charming; it very much compliments the more proud, hopeful, and triumphant qualities within the song.
This juxtaposes extremely well with the video for “Trust Issues,” which is notably much more isolated, consisting only of various shots of Abo$$ by himself. The stark loneliness created by the video really helps supplement the song’s lyrics, which explore the pain of recognizing one’s own issues with connecting and trusting people.
It’s tense, depressing, and unhealthy in a way that the lyrics fully acknowledge and embrace. Lines like: “Look if honest, my heart ain’t wanna be pained—I been misunderstood one too many times to be played” and, “I was bound to accept I’m better alone given I tend to burn every fucking bridge that I make,” fully recognize the manner in which Abo$$’s trust issues form and manifest. He doesn’t pull any punches, and his lyrics only stand to further give proof to that.
More than anything, it’s clear that Hamza Abo$$ has invested an extraordinary amount of time into studying his thoughts, feelings, and how best to express them. Each song on the album feels so deeply nuanced, they show such a deep respect and understanding of how pride, sadness, fear, and hope can all intersect in both contradictory and complementary ways.
If you are at all interested in hearing and supporting an amazing artist, you absolutely need to check out Hamza Abo$$. I’m Not Perfect boasts way more beautifully written tracks than a debut album has any right to. There is a poetic and artistic quality to nearly every lyric on the set, with seemingly no word underthought at all. Each song only stands to testify for the amazing potential that is Hamza Abo$$.
If you care at all about music, poetry, or rap, Hamza Abo$$ deserves your attention. You can find Hamza Abo$$’s work on SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube. You can also follow him on Instagram to keep up with all future releases as they debut.
