VUYO Aerates Completion On Prequel To EP With “Under The Stars”

Having previously released the candid “Vuyo’s Woman” and the socially-charged “Window,” Rough Online felt they had Vuyo’s sound summed up. But we were wrong...since Vuyo has thrown us with his best single yet “Under The Stars” which musically delves into an experimental, Chillout-esque world with ethereal sounds, such as the intro’s audio sample which consists of an “acoustic guitar and a harp” fusion reminiscent of Bonobo’s distinctive vibe, and a memorable, catchy “whistle” synth and strings which eventually and beautifully imitate the same melody, all together creating an unexpectedly unique and hypnotic sound, that Rough Online have put down as the rapper’s best work to-date. But let’s not forget the most crucial element of Vuyo’s art…his rapping technique, which on this occasion steps away from his traditionally American-sounding, street tone, and showcases a more raspier, grittier sound in comparison to what we have heard previously, while he lyrically makes reference to religion, spirituality and the ongoing struggles of an independent artist with lyrics like “the SoundCloud plays, they be staying up, on the other side the bills keep piling up,” and for the record…Rough Online love his new sound.

Under The Stars’ most captivating moment has to be when a beautifully played piano kicks in, that with its’ overuse of breathy reverb throws you back to Chantal Kreviazuk’s stunning piano intro to “Souls” from her 1999 album “Colour Moving And Still,” just before Vuyo’s Hip-Hop beat drops after the first verse. It is a captivating section that could have easily been inspired by Modern-Classical music, like the heart-wrenching compositions of Anthony Greninger, and just as we thought the multi-talented rap artist couldn’t get anymore experimental, a crazy flanger effect is added to his vocal on the last verse of “Under The Stars” making him sound as though he is a robot from another dimension.

The question is, was this Vuyo’s intention to make you feel as though you have suddenly landed on the Moon, or been thrown out into space? Either way, no one can deny how masterfully crafted his Moby-esque music production on “Under The Stars” was created, and Vuyo has positively proven not only to be the most interesting rapper to come out of 2018, but also that he has no desire to recreate today’s “trendy” Urban music. He is not Drake, he is not Kanye West, he is not Jay-Z…he is Vuyo and Rough Online don’t think he is even trying to be any of today’s biggest Hip-Hop artists either. Vuyo is too busy being his own artist and embracing his individuality, which Rough Online thoroughly support. Every track Vuyo releases just gets better and better and better, so don’t waste no time at all and listen to his strongest single so far…“Under The Stars.”