Most rappers have to rely on one component of an arrangement to create fluidity, but in the case of a player by the name of Alpha Hugo, this just isn’t true. Alpha Hugo’s new single “Cancer Symptoms” sees him working off of the flow of every instrument in the mix, while his other single “Go Crazy” presents agility and speed where others have been utilizing melodicism. What it all adds up to is quite simple – this is a rapper with brains and brawn, and he’s making his presence known in the underground this August.
The delivery here feels really natural and unforced, which has hardly been so with the majority of east coast indie content I’ve reviewed in the past few months. Alpha Hugo strikes me as someone who doesn’t get caught up in synthetics too much, especially in the song “Cancer Symptoms,” where I think his personality is on display even better than it is in “Go Crazy.” He’s got depth others just don’t these days, and I would like to hear what he can do with it in flexible arrangements that don’t leave any room for the kind of embellishments his peers have often made entire LPs around.
I really like the old school southern vibes in “Go Crazy,” and it’s obvious to even the more casual listener that Alpha Hugo is having a lot of fun with the groove in this single. Even without seeing the carefree catharsis within the music video for the song, I could tell right from the jump that we were listening to a hedonistic anthem in this track that would light up the club or a lazy afternoon just the same. When he cuts loose, this rapper is as focused as he is when he’s being serious, which isn’t as common as you might like to think it is in the FM market.
I can’t wait to hear what Alpha Hugo sounds like on stage, and being that his career is gathering up a lot of steam in the underground right now, I have a feeling that it’s only going to be a matter of time before we see his name on the list of upcoming performers at one of the many noted hip-hop festivals that happen around the country every year. He’s killing it with “Cancer Symptoms” and “Go Crazy,” and I doubt this is going to be the last time he’s racking up headlines for a pair of smart singles.
