RetcH is what he says he is. A 22-year-old Lo-Life, who sips lean, spits grimy bars and reps the Garden State of Jersey with a massive chip on his shoulder. His work has been bubbling since the 2013 release of Polo Sporting Goods. The foundation of that surprisingly tight set was the sleek board work of Thelonius Martin which led to Finesse The World in 2015, which took us a step deeper into the lifestyle of the infamous man who rapped about “Special Jimmy,” and lit a blunt on a packed Subway car.
Persona or renegade? Trendsetter or trend wave rider? In order to make that call you need to listen to the records in succession, ending with this month’s Lean & Neck; a riotous ride around RetcHy’s world, blunt lit with a never ending double cup of syrup and Fanta nestled perfectly between this legs which are undoubtedly laced with the finest Polo fabrics the internet has to offer.
His lifestyle and art simultaneously blend into a blurred turn up that is equally enticing and terrifying. How this dude can even tie his shoes is a mystery considering the amount of liquid painkiller he supposedly ingests. Once the wow factor fades and I remember that I can function after splitting an entire bottle of whiskey, it becomes clear. The lifestyle isn’t a vehicle for the art. Instead, the lifestyle and the arts are part and parcel. They’re one and the same. This young man is talking about his life, 24/7. It’s syrupy, cinematic gold.
Where Polo Sporting Goods clung to the east coast equation of airing shit out over heavy beats, Finesse The World saw RetcH playing with his delivery, like a young Eminem layering haunting verses over a mixed bag of production. He purposely wore out his vocal chords in an attempt to keep us guessing. That’s the move of a young artist invested in keeping his cult following foaming at the mouth. RetcHy P knows fiends.
Fast forward in slow motion to this month’s Lean & Neck. The record manages to gather the very best of the pour up era and gently splash it over ice. Weezy, Future, and a touch of Migos come calling without ever compromising a second of RetcH’s integrity. Don’t believe me? Count the moments of Cam’ron inspiration throughout.
His Instagram is the stuff of legends. His records are gaining momentum with every spin. He’s your favorite rapper’s new favorite rapper and he’s doing it with nothing but his Fast Money gang, two cups, a pack of backwoods, and endless stacks. Holy matrimony.
