There’s never been as rough a time for live music as the last two years have seen, but this has ironically cultivated quite the intriguing studio culture, especially among hip-hop’s vibrant underground. Fresh Da Zoe’s momentum has only grown through the pandemic, and after listening to his new single “Voodoo Flow,” I can understand why. His creative evolution is hard for longtime followers to deny, but even among those who are new to his music, there’s no debating whether or not he’s got an ‘it’ factor when he’s dishing out verses in “Voodoo Flow.”
Confidence is an important quality to have no matter what kind of music you’re making, and it’s not something Fresh Da Zoe has an issue with in this single. He comes into the hook with a lot of energy, but he knows when to control it, which would really benefit some of his peers in the mainstream right now. His discipline is inspiring from a musician’s perspective, and it’s leading him into some very provocative territory in “Voodoo Flow,” primarily concerning the way he’s able to release catharsis seemingly on demand. Synthetic elements? Forget about ‘em – this rapper has such virtuosity on his own, props just don’t make sense here.
Watch the video for “Voodoo Flow” below
Fresh Da Zoe is pulverizing these verses, and yet his physicality doesn’t seem over the top or out of place for this single at all. Truth be told, I think that the minimalist influence over the instrumental framework in “Voodoo Flow” makes his delivery a little harder than it already would have been. Utilizing a backdrop is something I normally don’t hear a lot of in the underground, and the song sounds rebellious as a result; because this player is fighting against a void, his piercing execution sounds and feels so much more monstrous.
“Voodoo Flow” is a fine indie rap single, and while it doesn’t fit in with some of the mainstream content you’re going to hear on the FM dial this year, that could be its greatest charm. Although Fresh Da Zoe has chosen to make one of the most popular kinds of music on the planet right now, I don’t think he’s got much chance of falling in with the masses that shoot and miss in this industry, mostly because of the attitude he presents all of his music with. This single and its video mark another high point, and likely not the last we’ll see of him operating on an elite level.
