Minneapolis is not all Yachty—some of the music coming from the city has some actual thought process and heart behind it. Sometimes the draw to music is inexplicable; “I always loved music. I played piano at a young age, picked up a guitar, ukulele, and trumpet—whatever else I could get my hands on,” regional rapper Reverse Mechanic says. A turning point for him was the introduction to Garageband and the world of digital music creation. “I was instantly hooked,” he recalls, “I was a huge music fan, so I couldn’t resist making music of my own.” It wasn’t long before he began to [successfulky] dabble in slam poetry, and began to the two worlds into recorded projects. He’s since released a handful of dopeness independently via the web; with no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Early this year, he embarked on a year-long project called The Mixed Ape, which committed him releasing new songs, videos, and content every month for 12 months. Thus far, the songs haven’t stuck to one theme, sound, or even genre. The newest record, “The Box,” is a “response to hatred, bigotry, and the [general] societal pressure to conform,” he explains. The song, which begins with hums and heavy piano chops, is openly dedicated—as the Intro suggests—to those who don’t fit into the box of the typical. “They tell us to adjust, we’re not able; we think outside the box, turn the table.” Infused with heavy guitars for a big anthemic chorus, the song has an almost Eminem cadence to it.
As his name suggests, his angle is all about breaking things down into their elements and exposing them—like a real artist. “The Box” sees him truly realizing the power of understanding yourself and your listener’s relationship with your music. This is the kind of music that could potentially help someone get through some shit; real talk.
