There is a type of swagger that can only be born from being raised in a place like Detroit, gritty, soulful, and overflowing with stories to tell. That spirit is precisely what courses through "Clap," the new single from Rapper REDD & Illy Maine. Soaked in the traditions of conscious and alternative hip-hop, yet infused with the fun, summertime energy, this track offers a vitally needed shot of authenticity and bounce.
"Clap" immediately drops you into a head-nodding groove and rhythm from its first beat. It's a record that sounds like it was designed to be played loud in the car as you roll through the city with the windows down, just as the sun sets behind the skyline. Every line, every bar is baked with purpose and identity. Illy Maine who grew up on the East Side of Detroit with roots that span the entire city, has a voice that's both lived-in and laser-focused. That perspective lends gravity to the track, which originates from one of America's most culturally rich yet frequently overlooked cities. It's this duality that helps give "Clap" the playful but mature, high-energy edge, while reveling in the moment.
REDD brings the same energy, juxtaposed with finesse, to his verse, an effort that contributes seamlessly to the tale while adding a new layer to the record. "Clap" is Detroit at its heart, unapologetically honest, brash in sound, rich in stories born out of the pavement. It's a song that makes you want to lean in and listen closer, shake it looser, and come away with some sense of what resilience propelled by rhythm might sound like when it becomes a song. On "Clap," REDD & Illy Maine show the world that conscious hip-hop can still shake the streets of summer.