“So many are waiting for their new beginning — their birth by sleep.”
— Redd da Killer Bee
Rapper Redd da Killer Bee (RDKB) has spent the better part of his life dedicated to music; however, hip-hop is what it’s manifested into. It may be rare in today’s field to find an artist who isn’t confident, although RDKB isn’t afraid to say — without bias —that he (himself) has always been influenced by his abilities and his many talents. That’s some next level confidence. He does have artists that he tips his crown to, but none that he directly credits with his style.
That’s fair enough.
After a few listens to his sophomore LP, the curiously titled Birth By Sleep, I can’t quite directly point my finger at a cadence or flow that matches what he’s doing. After releasing his debut album, “Plain & Simple: Reprised”, in December of 2010, he decided to focus more on writing for other artists and growing more as a composer/producer. A few years and an EP later, RDKB has grown a lot, now crafting a body of music that is surprisingly eclectic, edgy, [at times] motivational, and overall, unique.
The album starts off with a trap vibe, with the intro, and the aggressive “Not In The Mood,” which stays true to the title — don’t unleash the beast. The surprises, though, come along as you continue to go through the track listing. There are plenty motivational messages dripping from tracks like “Royal Radiance,” the innovative, electro blended “Stroke Of Midnight.” Some of the standouts for us were Ambition, which reminded us a lot of The Pack’s iconic viral hit, “Vans.” Think of it as an anthem for the ambitious, with a catchy sing-song hook. “Caught In a Fantasy,” which is the album’s sole female-focused record is another dope departure that hits the mark. It’s his experimentations that seem to shine throughout the LP.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t point out the 8+ minute title track, which does not only stand out for it’s more traditional hip-hop production, but it’s deep subject matter. He touches on a garage of topics, from his relationship with his father, the loss of someone close to him, and more. The song and the project itself is a euphemism for new beginnings. This album is a new beginning for RDKB — and excuse the pun — but you shouldn’t sleep on it. Stay tuned to his Soundcloud of the official release later this week.
