While conceptualism is quashing the competition in the mainstream market to an extent where it’s difficult to tell the alternative rappers from their more commercially-stylized counterparts, Ren.y.c’s forward sound in the new single “Wicky” is truly her and her alone. Without consuming the brutish mentality of a bygone era in hip-hop’s charismatic poetic history, Ren.y.c can create a throwback that it’s okay to love in “Wicky;” the reason for this being, of course, her approach to the structure of the track. Others might be basking in postmodernity, but for this player, black-and-white compositional wit is still a recipe for success.
As far as I’m concerned, Ren.y.c’s identity is her flow, and that’s never been quite as obvious as it is when we get into the guts of “Wicky.” Where the structure is stoic conceptually, the venomous verses my girl is cutting from the center of the mix have more emotion than the lyrical imagery is prepared to withstand. It’s as though we’re witnessing a slow-motion breakdown from the perspective of another person in the entourage. The implied protagonist starting the fire isn’t concerned with the ensuing blaze, and her ease behind the mic demonstrates this boastfulness without question.
Despite the tremendous amount of confidence I’m getting out of the vocal element in this song, there isn’t any arrogance to be found on the part of Ren.y.c herself. She has every reason to be boastful here; the production quality, her performance itself, even how she’s marrying thin tonal components at the bottom of the mix with her slick delivery up top, it’s all as top-notch as it gets on the underground level of this game. That said, her humble demeanor could be the reason this is such a listenable piece, and a statement single in every capacity.
You couldn’t have loaded this track with any more of a bassline than Ren.y.c did, and I like that she decided to stick with a minimalist style with regards to the instrumentation in “Wicky” as a means of supporting her natural vocal style. It takes self-awareness to understand and respect your limitations, and rather than pushing her sound beyond what she knows it can handle, she’s playing to her strengths and providing us with as fierce a juggernaut as she can muster from inside of the recording studio here.
A lot of listeners are just finding out about Ren.y.c for the first time this February thanks to the buzz around “Wicky,” but this isn’t her first time in the spotlight at all. After taking another peek at her discography this week, I have to say her ascent from the shadows and into the indie primetime should come as no surprise to anyone who follows contemporary hip-hop. Her growth as a composer and lyricist is undeniable, but her performance abilities are probably what shines the brightest in this most recent offering. I can’t wait to hear what she does with them next no matter what the capacity happens to be, and I think you’re going to see why soon.
Chadwick Easton