Beginning with the perfect kind of beat to vibe to, fusing that laid back, ambient energy with a mellow hip-hop rhythm, “Sage” opens up and moves along in the right kind of way. Tuck G ’s voice along with FWAY God and lyricism are the final pieces of the puzzle, starting with the amazing hook, presenting a uniquely deep, confident and characterful leading voice, soon followed up by a rap performance that keeps the rhythm and flow relevant and brings about a certain kind of honesty and realness that speaks to the heart of authentic hip-hop.
The musical backdrop to this track is actually far more of an inherent part of the expression than simply a beat behind the song. The artist’s ideas and the music go hand in hand. The instrumentation has a joyful brightness and bounce to it, taking a touch of rap and a fair few hits of classic hip-hop, the ambiance is as eclectic as it is energetic. The vocal parts that follow it along add to the intensity and pace of the music brilliantly, always keeping the flow on point, always adjusting to the surrounding rhythm and the underlying mood.
The high quality production is one thing, making this a radio ready and easy to relax to piece of music and writing. It’s a familiar yet always welcome and professional sort of backdrop. It evolves in a pretty creative and hypnotic way, there’s a hugely atmospheric undertone to the soundscape. On top of this, the voice, the driving force behind the song’s sentiment, has that precise sound and style linked purely to the artist responsible for it – there’s an inherent individuality there and that speaks volumes.
Rather than explicitly depending upon structure or a certain songwriting style, the performance feels like something of a freestyle on occasion, excusing that central outpouring of facts – though even this could pass as the outburst of a well informed extrovert. This again highlights the laid back energy of the singer and their carefree yet joyful approach to creativity. It makes for something undoubtedly unique, and what really comes through when listening is that a live performance would likely be a hugely enjoyable and memorable experience. This duo is doing their own thing entirely, and it works. Well worth checking out, particularly if you’re local.