VINNYP’S FRESH DROP ‘GETTIN’ THERE’ IS A COLORFUL ARRAY OF MEMORABLE SOUNDS
Vinnyp is a New Hampshire up-and-comer who transcends genre-based parameters, establishing a robust sonic aesthetic that combines elements of rap, hip-hop, rock, and even subgenres like crunkcore. Remember scene kid music? Vinnyp had a MySpace profile at one point, as some of his sonic choices are reminiscent of crunkcore legends like Brokencyde. Pretentious critics (like myself) would agree that in most cases, autotune is an artistic choice—Vinnyp proves us to be correct, as he scatters little magic sprinkles of crisp autotuned vocals throughout his mixes. This LP establishes him as a rising star within his niche, even as he is creating his niche to trailblaze.
The record kicks off to an immensely strong start with the song “My Face Is Up Here.” This cheekily-titled anthem is provocative, engaging, and uniquely produced, much like the rest of Vinnyp’s work. He doesn’t shy away from taking artistic risks, allowing his lyrics to flow freely to a fresh beat while still focusing on sonic cleanliness. His tight mixes are what sets him apart, aside from a nice flow in his melodies and raps. Nothing on this record sounds like he bought a beat on Fiverr and called it a day, though there is no shame in doing so. Vinnyp seemingly has a meticulous approach to production; this leaves him at a creative vantage point, where he can blow the competition out of the water solely due to his imaginative approach to sound.
Next, “Echo Chamber” offers the stylistic branding that Vinnyp is going for lyrically. He is committed to authenticity, and dedicated to telling his story so that others can feel what he’s writing. These days, it’s hard to avoid an echo chamber, since a lot of socializing is done online. This song reflects this phenomenon while avoiding cliches that have transcended the digital evolution. It is also an incredibly vulnerable song; Vinnyp’s music sounds so different from his contemporaries intentionally, as he knows that standing out from everyone else in a saturated market is the only way to achieve his goals. Rappers are tasked with other daunting goals. They often cannot simply let their work do the talking, but they have to show off to their peers, too. “Echo Chamber” allegorically touches on this conundrum, telling the story of a man trapped in a materialistic reality where they have to impress girls, guys—and music critics.
Though, Vinnyp isn’t as cocky as his contemporaries in a refreshing way. He’s confident, and his confidence shines through with, “He Did It With Me.” While he’s no cornball, he does emphasize the fact that women feel more comfortable to be themselves with him, even as he is pursuing them. This could be another metaphor; Vinnyp’s lyrical strengths lie within using literary devices in a relatable way, so there is always more than meets the eye (or ear) within each song. It makes it way more interesting to listen to him, as listeners are constantly encouraged to dig deeper while they explore his world, to the sound of a catchy beat.
The song, “Type Beat” is one of the most well-produced songs on the record. He asserts, “I stopped making rap music,” which could be true…however, the stylistic choices he made for this album are expertly curated like he studied each genre he borrowed from intricately to come up with something so unique. This song is also the one that made me think of groups like Brokencyde. His lyrical elements are a bit less jarring than traditional scene kid music, but his production elements are going to eventually resonate with an impressively diverse audience. He might even surprise himself with people who show up to his live sets.
The guitars and lyrics in “Take It Ya Mean My Way?” are exceptional. Vinnyp has a certain sense of self-awareness that makes him far more palatable than many of his contemporaries who are not self-aware, but rather, self-absorbed. Continuing to create from a place of authenticity will set him apart, ensuring longevity in his guitars.
Fans of 100 Gecs would love the song “Forget About It.” Throughout much of the record, there is a combined set of efforts from live and electronic instruments. However, in this song, it seems like most of the instruments are live. His electric guitar tone is crisp like it scratches an itch in my brain that I didn’t know I had. Similarly, I’m almost certain that there is a live bass guitar guiding the track instead of a pad on a synthesizer. He should expand upon these talents, emphasizing his musical ability paired with his immaculate composition and production skills.
The entire B-side of this album is my favorite. Maybe it’s my natural draw towards a crisp distorted guitar, but the uniqueness of his production with the last few tracks is truly amazing. “Don’t Know Me” brings that same level of vulnerability that almost transcends the typical realm of a breakup song. Plus, Vinnyp’s creative mind is simply so intriguing that I am drawn to analyze every single production element to see how he did it.
“Can We Keep Up Not Talking” is similar in that sense. The phenomenon of b-sides being a crowd favorite is extremely prominent in rock music. Many fans of rock bands tend to favor the deep cuts, as they are the most vulnerable, raw, and creatively driven. He is dedicated to standing out from the crowd, but this strong second half of his record should be utilized more throughout his next one. The combination of live and electronic instruments is always fascinating, and Vinnyp doesn’t haphazardly add them on a whim. Instead, he carefully curates every inch of his work.
The last two songs, “Swum” and “Dosin’ Down My Grace” are truly phenomenal. Vinnyp has proved himself over the years, but his grind may be over soon, as this album has the potential to pivot him to the forefront of his local scene.
Hopefully, label execs are paying attention; they’d be missing out if they passed up on Vinnyp. He’s going to break the mold, establishing his genre, and creating a legion of diehard fans who follow him to shows worldwide.