As contemporary hip-hop gets woozier and weirder, now is a good time for rap’s lunatic fringe to amble back into the spotlight.

Back in February, Main Attrakionz hooked up with anticon. staple Jel for the cLOUDLIFE EP. cLOUDDEAD founder Doseone, latterly of anything-goes outfit Subtle, is now gearing up to release G Is For Deep, his inaugural solo release under his own name for anticon.. Stereogum are currently hosting the lead track from the LP, titled ‘Last Life’.

On this track at least, Doseone’s left his rapping hat at the crib, opting instead for a distinctive strain of prim R&B. ‘Last Life’s mix of twinkly pop and sludgy hiphop-isms brings CocoRosie to mind, albeit augmented by Doseone’s quavering, reedy falsetto. The lyrics yearn for a “former life”, adding a little pathos to the breezy melody. Things really lift off in the final stretch, when a dreamy coda blends all of the track’s most interesting features into one great disorientating swirl of sound. All in all, perfect ascension music.

G Is For Deep is due on May 29 through anticon.; the tracklist is below. You can download ‘Last Life’ here.

Tracklist:
1. Dancing X
2. Last Life
3. I Fell
4. Thy Pattern
5. Therapist This
6. End&Egg
7. OwlShark
8. SEE Answer
9. Arm In Armageddon
10. The Bends

Joseph Morpurgo