g hao‘s excellent album Lycoris Radiata channels an admiration for early Freddie Dredd while carving out a broader stylistic identity, spanning phonk and hip-hop alongside melodic, atmospheric flourishes. The Vietnamese artist’s second album also benefits from collaborations with underground rappers including LilHustle, PRETTY NICKY, Scrapper, Lunaughty, and LITTLE 4N, lending additional variety to its adventurous production palette.
The album’s intro compels with sturdy rhythmic momentum, enveloping from initially sparse, vintage-sounding immersion to a heavy bass backdrop. g hao’s engaging production skills are quickly on display here, delighting in a range of slight pauses, warbled rhythmic intrigue, and overall climactic prowess. Next up, “BEAT DA GLOCK” unveils a captivating melodic delivery. “Glock after glock, got a problem I know, and I’m trying to beat the clock,” a debonair lyrical refrain flows, contagious in its initial peppiness and concluding, slowed-down feeling.
“HELLA DANK” continues this fantastic start, here embracing a breezier flourishing of smooth guitars and keys with a bossa-nova flair. Heavy bass and dynamic vocal performances follow, engaging across both dreamy, twinkling-laden singing and hip-hop deepness. The ascent to the final 30-second mark maintains the colorful, lush backing amidst a grittier hip-hop delivery, cementing a standout production. “UNSTOPPABLE / SPLIT APART” maintains the approachably melodic production, here resembling The Avalanches in its fusing of soulful backing harmonies, effervescent keys, and a playfully brisk hip-hop lead. Its “concrete jungles” stylistic switch-up into thick bass pulses is particularly memorable.
A variety of high-quality productions exist within the release, from “MAGIC DA GATHERING,” which pairs celebratory brass appeal with Lunaughty’s understated delivery, to the old-school hip-hop ominousness within “FEEL DA PAIN,” which lyrically declares “welcome to the underworld” with menacing entrancement. Amongst the album’s finest productions is “DEVIL BOY,” which melds a heartfelt string-forward layering with a higher-pitched, faster-paced sample of Freddie Dredd’s “Yellow Love.” Rather than the original’s more measured flow and jazzy instrumentation, “DEVIL BOY” consumes in its more urgent pace and cinematic backing; the luxurious strings and infectious hook pair beautifully.
Another exceptional track is album finale “THRU DIS HELL,” playing as the release’s centerpiece. Caressing synths and serene guitar lines drive quickly into a warming bass presence and twinkling keys, while the opening lines emit a sweetly accessible charm. The lead delivery then appears with melodically impactful insight, admitting “I can’t even think for myself anymore” in a series of introspective reflections on personal artistic process. The production is exceptional in its blend of hip-hop, city-pop, and dream-pop alike. g hao’s Lycoris Radiata is a wholly immersive, eclectic album with an abundance of stirring productions.
