Feature | CREEPIN/FURTHER
I love old skool hip hop. Be it the rugged and raw East Coast rumblings, the lively yet chill beats of the West Coast, or the historically and gospely inspired artists in between, I’ve listened to pretty much all the big names of hip hop over the years. With that said, I immediately got a vibe of all these influences and more when I started listening to Proklaim’s new track Creepin/Further 2in1.
When writing a review, I don’t necessarily like to make comparisons to other artists, as each musician is their own individual at the end of the day, but I couldn’t help feeling the aura of a few distinct influences from the past, which in my opinion only helps make Creepin/Further the track that it is.
The intro and chorus gave me goosebumps and harkened me back to the polyphonic vocal melodies of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, while the lyrics and delivery of the verses themselves could fit right in to any Wu Tang affiliated track, and I could even see Proklaim as being an uncrowned honorary member of the legendary group, in spirit anyway.
However, what perhaps separates and even elevates Proklaim from these two examples is that he both sang the chorus and performed the verses all by himself. In addition to these elements and influences of a bygone era, there is also a distinct African flavor contained within the words and the beats. It blew my mind a little to think that music itself isn’t something new at all but can trace its roots back thousands of years, all the way to the ancestral plains of Africa, and the song reflects this in its musical changes as it progresses along.
With the modern wave of hip hop today being unique and fun in its own way, but no doubt having lost most of the raw expression and edge that made it such a force in the 90s and early 2000s, it’s refreshing to know that some artistic souls out there are keeping this spirit alive.
Proklaim is certainly one of these champions. And, when combined with the rich African roots also found within the layers and spirit of his music, it makes Creepin/Further 2in1 a potentially standout hip hop track for 2025 and a welcome influx of new life into a culturally defining genre of music.