Rapper and indie label owner, EON MC ETC., has been in the game for years—since the age of five to be exact. Now, ten years since he dropped his first solo-LP A Reckonin, he’s celebrating his latest release Southern L.O., a follow-up to last year’s Fighting Demons, a collaborative project with Adduci, which we wrote about shortly after the release.
At nine songs deep, the project is a super dope blend of lyricism and syrupy southern production. As he explained in his recent interview with Ivy Cayden, from My Multi-Track Mind, “Southern L.O. is an ode to my hometown: Lawton, Oklahoma.” Songs like the soulful feel-good vibe of the title-track, and the last track, “Thunder Up, Ya”—which is an apparent hype up record dedicated to the city’s sole professional sports franchise—definitely lives up to his vision.
Some more interesting moment on the record come later on, like “Coulda Been,” which is—in simplest terms—a unique 90s R&B tinged take on a concept similar to Common’s classic “I Used To Love Her.” Personally, this record for the most replay while taking in the album. It differs from Common’s version in that it’s more about the artist that sticks it out, even when fame doesn’t come as quick as they hoped, only to see other pop off—inexplicably.
“Hollywood Heist,” with its swing-vibe is another cool track on the album. One thing that stands out is his wordplay; he makes a lot of reference to the state of hip-hop, from artists in “Southern L.O” failing to build each other up, to straight up wack Emcees who are seemingly eroding the culture.
Overall, the project is a solid listen the didn’t require any skimming of skipping—and is the second full-length project I’ve heard from EON. Add it to your playlist this week—and so yourself a favor and check his catalog!
