Handsome: “Self”
New Jazz’s interstellar SoundCloud funk. The extreme pitch-shifting of “Free Lil Onion.” Screw tapes. “Flatbed Freestyle.” TisaKorean’s “Got Me Trippin.” The druggiest songs on Loe Shimmy’s Zombieland 2. That’s the mini-moodboard that comes to mind when I listen to Guapo’s “Self.” In the last several months, Guapo has landed on a groovy sound with lots of vocal effects that feel both trendy and indebted to his Houston roots. Here, high- and low-pitched tweaks spice up otherwise basic raps (credit to “Yo’ jewelry came from Temu,” though) because of how they layer on top of one another. If the beat weren’t so relaxed, Guapo would sound possessed—and all of this vocal tinkering is done without ever losing his wobbly Texas drawl.
With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.
Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from Guapo and more on our Spotify playlist.
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