Cop @LaFlame_SA - Clouds EP Right Now

Flame finally drops his highly expected EP, Clouds. This is his official introduction of a full project to us. The 14 track piece brings you deeper into his world, and if you're a fan of that deep voice of his, well then...

He opens the EP with the familiar Pray For Us turned into an intro almost as though he's asking for his mother's blessing before he continues with the rest of the project. A beautiful ode to his rock given that we all know how tricky it used to be for parents to truly understand what this "music thing" we love is all about. He follows that up with an upbeat The Message dedicated to trifling b!%ches who are not here to build with him but want in on the good times. Sounds like someone has had terrible experiences with ladies thus far. We don't know, we're just making this out from the song. He keeps up the tempo as the EP seeps into Stack It Up which picks up from his previous song where he was urging you to focus on your money instead of girls who will break your heart. We're loving the 3 musketeer combination of him, Louw and Zoocci Coke Dope - they sound like a glimpse of the winning team that is The Wrecking Crew. Their voices also compliment each other really well on this joint. Just as you're nodding to that, we're right back where we started with the girl issues, now he's Caught Up in something that doesn't sound like it will end well. Eish! Yena aya kwini?

If Flame's intention is to have you in your feels, buried deep in your thoughts then it's working. It doesn't help that he enlists the potent, ever powerful vocals of Rowlene for Between Me & You. Can we actually pause the whole project listening for this moment? How does Rowlene manage to manipulate the strings of your heart with all these tracks that she's on? I'm not coping. This is by far my favourite song on the EP. Luckily for us, we don't stay sombre for the rest of the piece as we step out on a new leaf with Whole New Lane rocking alongside A-Reece, Ecco, Louw and Enkei. SQUAD ANTHEM ALERT! This song is a perfect foot for the rest of the project where he celebrates his "arrival" and the progress that he's making right now. It's almost as if he's deliberately saying, "enough of all the soppy stories, lemme tell you about how I'm winning now."

Why is Beast an interlude? The track goes in. That characteristic synth by Mashbeatz that swings periodically in the back creates a level of suspense added with the soft keys on the track. Man, I'm a fan okay? More than I was when I fell into obsession with Money Today. However, we do need to take Flame to All You Need Is Love, ngepela. He's killing me with his nuances of trifling girls who can't be trusted. On a real note though, we can already see Yung as a soundtrack for many young guns who believe in living their best lives and eating their youth. This is a statement of where his headspace is at: no distractions right now, no bad vibes either, and trying to live life fully. You'll notice that the project's mood becomes eerie from here on and this carries on in 6AM giving you a mental visual of mist on the road and a flickering sunrise in the distance. This is precisely what this song sounds like as Flame shares his morning ritual with us. When we first saw that Da L.E.S was part of the tape we wondered what his appearance might be like and he more than fits perfectly on Celebration. I mean, he is known to be the life of the party so it wouldn't be the right vibe without the North god. We're loving how intact their synergy on the track is. More especially, how Flame stands his own against the musical giant that L.E.S is. Bravo! 

The sun has already set by now and we're painting the town in Take My Hand. Flame is having a party and this time around he's reaching out his hand for a damsel in need of some company. This is a good look, he's still a gentleman despite how much them trifling girls have done him dirty. Give this man a sippy cup! Clouds is well laid out I must say. Although Flame takes us through multiple emotions, they all flow well into each other. Trapped In My Conscious sounds like those weird times after a party where you're either depressed or life around you is in slow motion. As Flame reflects on this outro, you get a sense of "good bye" as we near the end of the project by coming down from the Clouds. Before it all fades to black, MY SONG plays! I FEEL LIKE MONEY TODAAAAAY! I'm wilding, forgive my sporadic loss of composure. I'm back now...

The EP has come to an end, White takes us back to the production atmosphere in Beast (Interlude) and the feelings in Yung as he and Tkay flex about doing what they like, getting money while at it, and having White b%!ches. Lena maaan! Flame's EP is like registration to me, he's more than earning his right to sit in this class of the new school. He offers an impressive project that allows you to get to know him better since we often heard him on features with other artists. We also like how he's spaced out the features on the EP to not drown out his solo joints making him shine throughout your listening. A solid effort. Quality production, thanks to Mashbeatz as well as Zoocci Coke Dope, and an excellent display of his true feelings. We connect with you homie. 

Get it on iTunes right now!