Melding classic hip-hop flows with a futuristic-sounding atmospheric immersion, “Terra Nova” is a riveting hip-hop success from Barbaydose and MacArthur Maze. Buzzing synth tones and driving bass conjure visions of neon-tinted night drives, while the vocal work exudes a melodic precision — which alongside the cut-up production effects make for an enthrallingly nostalgic hip-hop appeal.
The track’s trio of Bay Area artists impress with their individual presences and palpable grasp of both compelling wordplay and atmospheric, infectious beat-making with boom-bap appeal. The talents of MacArthur Maze’s D.Bledsoe and Champ Green interweave with the standout abilities of Barbaydose lyricist WeInTheCloud for a thoroughly memorable track, which combines contemporary lyrical introspection with engaging instrumentation.
The lyricism consumes in its depictions of tribulations — “look at how the challenges keep stacking” — though also in its forward-thinking confidence, letting one’s “light shine” whilst being wary of doubters. “Terra Nova” is a surefire success from Barbaydose and MacArthur Maze.
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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Hip-Hop.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
