R&B mixed with hip-hop music is rare to find in 2018 since there is only a handful of artist who fall into that category. Fans look forward to the heartfelt and relatable songs that these artists bring to music.
The Atlanta artist 6lack (pronounced black) released his sophomore album East Atlanta Love Letter on Sept. 14. The 14-track album features Grammy-Nominated artist and producer J. Cole, Atlanta native rapper Future, Migos' member Offset, and singer/songwriter Khalid.
6lack has been connecting with fans not only through his music, but in person and on social media. Before the album was released, 6lack sent out personal cards asking questions about their thoughts on love to his fans. This allowed his fans to spark the conversation of the meaning behind his album.
Through a fan Q & A via Twitter he said, “I actually care about the people who listen to my music. [I] wanted to do something personal.”
He also tweeted the story behind the album saying, “I’ve dealt with communication issues myself so I know it’s not just me," He wrote. "Just wanted to open up the discussion for others and in the process it’s helped me do my own work in my life too.”
6lack held a listening party for his album release at a drive-in in Atlanta where he sat inside a few fans' cars to listen to his album with them.
The East Atlanta Love Letter album expresses the trials and tribulations of romantic relationships and growing as a person. He sings about righting his wrongs and learning from what he’s done in songs like “Sorry” and “Unfair.” He admits that he has made his own mistakes and is willing to work harder for their love.
In songs like “Let Her Go” and “Disconnect,” he contemplates ending a relationship because there is no trust between the two. His poetic words tie in the fact that relationships work better when both partners use communication to solve their issues instead of arguing. Which is also the focus of this album. He then goes on to rap in “Switch” on a midtempo beat that he would trade places with someone to get his point of view on the relationship.
Then there are some songs that speak about intimacy in relationships such as songs like, “Loaded Gun,” “East Atlanta Love Letter” featuring Future, and “Pretty Little Fears” featuring J. Cole. They have a melodic beat with catchy rhymes about love to go with it.
6lack also touches base on personal emotions about his life. On singles like “Scripture” and “Nonchalant,” he raps over a mellow beat giving a vision that he’s willing to do whatever it takes for his future to be great. He raps, “I wrote this in a hotel the size of a closet –Just to show you that I could do it.”
The album finishes up on a positive note of being in love. The track “Seasons” featuring Khalid with a blissful melody and the vocals of both artist flows perfectly while singing about love. The lyrics express that finding the right person to spend a life and using communication to help guide them. “Stan” sums it all up with bold lyrics about being deeply in love and noting that people should express it more to each other.
East Atlanta Love Letter album brings out the R&B vibes that fans have been missing. These songs are lyrically expressed in a way that listeners can relate to and are easy to sing along with. The connection 6lack has made with fans helped bring that out in this album.
Comments