Working alongside producer Ty Fyffe, New Zealand rapper ZMA shows no fear to the boundaries of genre in his debut EP release Eclectic.
The New Zealand artist pushes the boundaries of rap past its limits with his first EP Eclectic. The six track album is riddled with deeply moving and driven lyrics, ZMA’s passion exploding through each word.
The rapper articulates upon every beat not only his craft as a lyricist, but the driving force behind every tune, Eclectic simply magnifies ZMA’s skills as a musician.
ZMA alludes in a Facebook post that the “listener will experience a diverse sound,” but diverse is an understatement. The album almost transports you through the different facets of sound, pushing the limits of rap.
To ZMA, genre is not a criteria but a necessity to break away from, each song transcending the next, more intense as the album progresses.
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The album kicks off with Paradise and Thing for You (Ooh Baby), setting the tone of an electrically synthesised summer tune, exploding ZMA’s range switching between rapping and singing.
Beautiful follows at the heart of the album, living up to its name with an acoustic guitar balancing ZMA’s love ballad. The artist has a profound ability to work between genres, finding a balance between his lyrics and the overall intensity.
But the rug is immediately pulled from under the listener’s feet as the climax of Eclectic presents itself. Building up from Let Me In, ZMA bursts our ears with Omertha, a Westcoast style hard rap piece, similar to the likings of Eminem.
ZMA proves himself time and time again of his incredible delivery and flow, a talent that was nurtured from a young age and a passion that overcame language barriers and comfort zones.
“I’m from a war-torn country, military hunt me, so I gotta stay hungry” the rapper bellows, alluding to his Iraqi heritage.
Alongside producer Ty Fyffe, who is known for his work with 50 Cent, DMX, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, and G Eazy, ZMA’s craft is sculptured with the same hand used on the artists he admired growing up.
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Ending Eclectic, the artist pulls through once again with Ghostlike, aligning his bellows with the shake of the piano and an edge to his already multi-faceted calibre. “Who would’ve imagined/God I’m bouncin’ like a mattress/all these years were just practise/to take over the atlas,” he raps.
One is for certain, ZMA is a thunderstruck storm with no signs of slowing down, and “take over the atlas” he will.
Check out ZMA’s Eclectic below:
