It’s not always easy to find, at least, someone comparable to Jean Grae or Rapsody when it comes to rap in the female hip-hop arena. We have sat with a few friends in a barber shop just debating this topic because we love rap music that much. Talking about Rapsody, she is from a different era; only a few names of the current era can dream even to compare, let alone surpass her. The hip hop artist, Ally Vyne, is on our contender’s list for a whole different reason. Please wait until you hear it.
A Rare Style and Knack for Rugged Rawness
There is this grit and heart in Ally Vyne and it is something very prevalent in her music. Despite her somber indifferent demeanor, she doesn’t hesitate to identify with what she believes in. The out-spoken and unapologetic lyrics spell out Vyne’s creative genius and controversial interest in religious, political, and social issues. She doesn’t care whether so-called cool people or trendsetters accept or like her or not, and that’s the blunt honesty and realness that makes her so authentic. She is different from the insipid mumbo jumbo that the rappers nowadays are spilling all over the airwaves and internet. It is that uniqueness that Ally Vyne infused into her latest music album, American Winter.
American Winter Album Deciphered
American Winter is a 10-track album that hit the streets in January this year (2022). The album boasts a calculated and steady grind of flow and street-born but highly informative lyricism to reinvent the femcee’s versatility. Each track in the album bores a distinct yet recognizable quality that mimics some of the very best up-tempo bangers of the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Vyne kicks things off with the album’s highlight track, American Winter. Here, the Mount Vernon-based femcee didn’t hesitate to confess her faith in God, highlighting where she stands in her beliefs. The track carries a mid-tempo beat, and you can easily decode the methodical approach Vyne applies along with the truth-telling lyrics. It’s the kind of song you listen to and nod away with an appreciation of someone who is just as natural as she sounds. In her delivery, she sounds somewhat like Freda Gatzin in Empire. Her rhymes and flow are heartwarming, creating a piece that sparks reality. Here the singer touches on many issue, whether it be sex trafficking, distrust, and economic challenges. Sure, with relatable lyrics such as this, one can’t help but love the realness.
And the realness and tenacious grind continue on Full Moon. This track bore the same methodical approach as the first but with a laid-back melody in the up-tempo. The lyrics carry the same rawness and realness identical to Vyne’s persona. As she succinctly put it, “The world is a place where no one gives a shit about you…” It’s all about survival cause “The Devil don’t play nice.”
On Time Rains, Vyne accelerated lyrically like a rocket. Good Lord! The flow in here was fire! Her ability to weave global warming and climate change talking points into her delivery makes for a remarkable output. Here, she spells out the line on her tolerance levels regarding social issues. This track is a killer with solid legendary beats. Wintertime takes a more relaxed approach compared to the immediate past track. Yet, that rawness and faith-based thinking filter define Vyne’s lyricism finely. On Feel, Vyne laid bare her undying commitment to making it to the top like most world-renowned male rappers in the game. Her quest for fame and glory shows off in the self-revealing lyrics that characterize this song. And no degree of “cancel culture” can stop that.
Freedom highlight Vyne’s political stance and thematic social leaning in the political divide that is the soul of America’s institutionalized racism and cancel culture. This is another connecting song with relatable lyrics. Then in America, Vyne repeated her stance on the political and social frameworks, denouncing racism and white supremacy. The beat has an old-school sound to it, and the touch on Guantanamo Bay and the FBI gives you the direction where the song was headed. It was some great stuff to listen to. Bones brings a more relaxed and balanced tempo with focused lyrics dedicated to recognizing the struggle between mental degeneration and realistic sanity. This is an emcee who came with some fire, we swear. On I Do, the lyricism was utterly raw, branching off from the spell of the ‘pussy’ to the church’s failure to do what’s right. The realness in this song, devoid of any supportive artificial tempo vibes, makes it one of the best on the album. Vyne rounds things up with Day One, a song with a soft and sobering-up feel to the beat. The song is a confession of the willingness to do anything for greatness, even from day one.
In a nutshell, Vyne has shown to be an indie hip hop artist who is serious about her craft. She may not have the type of bangers capable of topping the charts, but she has that realness that any sane thinking person would align with immediately. She is the best in this regard. American Winter is the album to listen to, if you’re a hip hop fan yearning for that realness.