MOD has paired sweaty nightclub beats with simmering hip-hop on his latest single, ‘Rolex’.
The propulsive track sees the German-born musician deliver searing and braggadocious bars with finesse, as driven by a filthy, earsplitting bassline and techno flairs.
The production on ‘Rolex’ remains consistently engaging, taking sonic cues from Charli XCX’s ‘brat’ with a nightclub-ready electronica and catchy vocal flourishes.
While there’s an ambient feel to the track — which feels spacious to the point of limitless — MOD introduces various shades that give ‘Rolex’ an ear-catching shape.
From the futuristic, darting synth lines seemingly pulled from a Berlin rave to the whirring, theremin-like flairs, the track pairs its hip-hop stylings with synthetic textures that feel altogether unique.
For extra measure, there’s even a backing section that sounds like bagpipes, and multiple catchy ad libs in which MOD can be heard chuckling.
In keeping with his genre, MOD raps alongside sporadic trap beats, sometimes distorted by vocoder effects.
His cadence is constantly dynamic, from the hazy, mumbly delivery of the chorus verse to the syllabic, Kendrick Lamar-like delivery of the opening verse.
Elsewhere, MOD even reaches more melodic corners, harmonising alongside backing vocals in sections that veer towards R&b.
MOD’s cadence is equally versatile, as his bars stretch flexibly around whatever beat the song calls for. What all of it amounts to is a hip-hop track that stands out with its infusion of such eclectic sounds.
MOD pairs it all with incisive penmanship, as he reflects on a former partner and “feel[s] sorry for the next guy” that has to endure her toxicity.
For all the anger towards its subject, ‘Rolex’ also displays a sense of vulnerability, as MOD muses on his family name, the evil of the world, and “all the struggles, all the pain.”
He concludes the track on a positive note, declaring to the former partner that “Lord knows, I’ll do anything to help you.”
It’s rare for a hip-hop track to contain this much depth in both storytelling and sound, but with a discography that stretches back to 2020, such mastery should perhaps be expected from MOD.
Listen to MOD’s new single ‘Rolex’ below.
