Clippa Cartier – “Wine Dark” – a radiant blend of styles dense with instrumentation

The father of three daughters, Clippa Cartier is a 26 year old rapper from Eugene, Oregon. The rapper known for his hard hitting trap/club style music, grew up with a variety of influences, from Too Short all the way to Sam Cooke. Ultimately, he draws inspiration from his brothers passing in 2016. Clippa, who mixes and masters his own music, started rapping in 2020 when Covid-19 started. He ultimately draws inspiration from his brother’s passing in 2016. In October 2020, he released his first song, “Thought You Knew Pt 1”, a club banger featuring hip hop artist, K. Banks. The song “Drip” followed a few days later and with his views and listens booming, the artist went on to drop his album “Wine Dark” during February 2021.

“Wine Dark” the album, masterfully marries hip-hop, R&B, and soul. Similarly, project is the result of strong convictions about the role of music in our daily lives. Clippa Cartier sing, raps and produces on the trap-influenced album. That should give you a pretty good idea of the man’s appreciation and understanding of music that makes you dance in the club, as well listen carefully.

In pure musical terms, “Wine Dark” is a joy of an album to play all the way through, a radiant blend of styles dense with instrumentation: a blast of strings here, a synth solo or squiggly guitar lick there, with liquid bass lines and hard-smacking drums throughout.

Parts of the album are harder and more immediate than others, which are more melodic and introspective. Featuring Silencer & Zero, “Ocean” is an energetic highlight that, aside from its smooth grooves, showcases Clippa Cartier’s resonant flow, and a melodic hook that keeps the song charging forward. “Do My Dance”, also produced by Clippa, features an explicit pack of rhymes, and some soulful flute interludes.

“Jumpman” is a tight, uplifting and empowering anthem, which sees Clippa Cartier’s spitting with conviction and vigor. Moving forward, this recording, for its lyrical and musical scope, brings to mind a number of excellent albums.

“Drip” builds its momentum on a deep growling bassline and Clippa’s alpha male braggadocio lines, which hit hard. “Benzo” ft. K. Banks is another high energy banger, where the rappers prove themselves to be more than just unique voices.

Running through “The Protocol” ft. Rider, the Latino groove of “Saint Lucia”, and the catchy as hell bounce of “Anticipation”, Clippa Cartier seems to be in total control of his talent. These tracks have the kind of substance that suggests he’s built to last. Clippa’s voice is resonant, energetic, yet conversational. It’s immediately clear. This is a sincere project, brimming with outspoken honesty and perseverance.

On both “New Freezer” and “Check Chasin”, Clippa shows flashes of brilliance – with the melodic production on the former, and his forceful flow on the latter. All throughout this recording, Clippa Cartier skillfully depicts his experiences and surroundings while remaining in the foreground, as the music flows expansively from creamy melodies to trap cadences. Clippa’s musical and emotional generosity ties everything together on “Trendsetter” and “Thought You Knew Pt 1” ft. K. Banks.

Aside from the banging grooves, “Wine Dark” showcases powerful art all round. Clippa Cartier is a confident and unique presence, with a strong command of style and substance, as a producer, songwriter and rapper. His versatility is astounding. Also watch out for the artist’s new EP “10 Toes”, releasing on the 19^th of April.

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