Today’s album might just pervade your being. The Humble Prophets, comprised of Darxx and Salus Herb, bring a much-needed empathy for oneself to the table. A progression carefully carved and managed to touch on from the most regular activities possible in a given human life to the divine calling, Up From Here is sumptuous in meaning while acoustically leaning towards compelling simplicity. You’ll also find that time-wise, the project is a bridge anchored on one side in the ’80s and on the other in the ’90s.
1. Up From Here
From the very first seconds, the Humble Prophets start building a poetic portrait that’s complementary to their stage name and song title. This is no jovial banger or club anthem. This is a well-thought-out intro for a song that will shine an intellectual spotlight on existential subjects. And yes, that is all deducted from the broken record player sound we hear in the beginning.
“Yea Humble Prophets. It’s Darxx and Salus Herb bringing it right to yea, yea,” commences Darxx. “To get to where you wanna be at/ You gotta start off where ya don’t/ Share your heart, bare ya throat/ Choking back the urge to react/ Too often I’m caught where it’s cold/ Blow the spot, that’s the goal,” follows the artist with perfect rhymes and a general approach in his narrative. He might be talking about toxic relationships as well as aiming for a better financial future or even leaving one’s physical location behind. Darxx’s flow is instrumental in his message delivery for he plays with it but ever so lightly without altering the smooth trail he’s leaving behind. “From the bottom to the top’s the path/ No patience like wait, think I forgot my mask/ Throw the kinda party after that the cops’ll crash/ And then resolve the situation once we drop some cash,” starts getting more specific in his details the rapper.
The hook, sung-rapped by the same artist, is an ode to the ’90s Hip Hop. It’s blunt, dry, cool, firm, and with elongated-enough ending vowels to make it catchy: “To be just sincere, ain’t nothing to fear/ From this point onward, only up from here/ Due to sweat blood and tears, well as love from peers/ From this point onwards, it’s only up from here.” The internal and external rhyming schemes prove Darxx’s fine detail-oriented nature.
Salus Herb then kicks off the second part of the song with a well-proportioned but notable energy: “When the winds of fate leave with a cold shoulder/ The soul turn over but you got to keep soldiering/ On staying true to your heart and beyond/ Represented in rhymes and truth of these Solms.” Salus Herb makes tremendous use of slant rhymes and carefully places his top important words at the very end of the bars: shoulder, soldiering, beyond, Solms. With just these four words, you get the message. He continues with a most prophetic and philosophical input that suits his storytelling style: “Never despair hope will always take you there/ Deeper and deeper into a special forgotten place/ The infinite expanse of the potential the human race/ So never fret give chase go and seize your fate/ It’s never too late to attack with a clean slate.”
The two artists then engage in a back-and-forth bar exchange which turns out to be the very bridge placed at the end. How ingenious! And Darxx proceeds to summarize Up From Here‘s message in two very concise, very straightforward lines. “Make believers outta skeptics with the message in the music/ ‘Till the section where we exit, representing to the truest.” If the project will continue in this manner, then we’ve found a duo centered around artistic excellence.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Demetri Crisp (Thirty-Siiixth) – Music Producer; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Recording and Sound Engineer.
2. Cloud9
“If my heads in a cloud, I hope it’s cloud nine/ Tryna stay up over downtime/ Even when the sky’s falling like rain/ And the reaper arrives, calling my name,” goes the intro and hook as you’re about to find out, of Cloud9. The words are preceded by that breezy synth à la ’80s retro sound. Which, to be honest, is most captivating because few modern artists go for those sonic particularities. “We got a bunch of our favorite beats we picked up over an entire year and slowly cooked out this foundational album for ourselves to build off both lyrically and musically. We’ve elevated one another,” shares Salus Herb for Blue Rhymez Entertainment. It is rather mighty that 11 songs were meticulously planned and crafted over such a long period of time. Something that you’ll only encounter when it comes to independent artists. Mainstream ones are usually cash cows hiring songwriters on repeat.
After Darxx admits to “playing by rules that he breaks without realizing,” the Rap artist delves into a punchy delivery in a ’90s mannerism over the ’80s music: “On a journey never-ending, sending signals I’m stressing/ Ask for help from above just to deny blessings/ Stepped out my comfort zone just to go get lost/ Acting messy at the bar, hope I don’t get tossed.” This part here makes him relatable for he illustrates with grand mastery the polarizing thoughts vs. actions that humans engage in. Although it sounds poetic, this is the unadorned reality for many of us and Darxx just got a whole lot of bonus points in our eyes.
We notice that the mixing style and mastering inclination are in tune with the decades and trends they’re representing: the ’80s and the ’90s. With an evident, solid, old-fashioned lo-fi tinge to it, the voices of both artists sound fresh out the booth and unprocessed. Autotune has left the chat.
In the second part of Cloud9, Salus Herb promotes a particular type of beauty with his faith and equally his drive to mould his destiny: “Soldier fortune a master of fate/ I’m writing more tunes then I set the pace/ Hungry for more true I’m digging in the crates/ Creating more proof of my alchemist state/ Meaning I turn my dreams into lyrical gold/ Keep bringing heat to a world that’s cold.” Interestingly enough, albeit spitting on a dry beat, Salus Herb excels in inventing a covert melodic line so that the audience has something to memorize faster.
Cloud9 is a strong vintage-styled followup to Up From Here allowing the public to reflect on the opposing views and the moral compass humanity has to polish, readjust, and adapt continuously.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Music Producer, Recording and Sound Engineer.
3. Loco
Loco is one of Steven Dutton’s (Salus Herb) favorites: “Loco was concocted in one of those amazing nights where we and the whole crew came together and just melded our talents to put forward our best material yet.” And surely, it doesn’t take long to realize why the record is appreciated in a very special way by the artist.
The opening sax and Levi Deadman‘s self-introductory ad-lib set up a rather hyped atmosphere despite the tranquil sound. Being a product of three lyrical geniuses put together, the expectations are high. And here it comes…
Levi Deadman enthralls the public with his chilled-back attitude that’s beaming with organic swag: “Riding down them back roads/ Just got off a back h*e/ Swisher rolled fat so/ I think it’s time we spark/ Ac’s been broke/ Just like me so/ Roll down all the windows/ We can’t sit in park.” These 4 bars are so f*cking good that they could have easily taken on the weight of a hook. Welcome back Levi Deadman!
The rapper can’t help himself but slide into his other, darker side: “Ride with a chopper tell em f*ck what they think/ I’d rather wear your skin than a f*cking mink/ Leather jackets and hatchets/ Hockey mask they all matching.” Levi Deadman is the paragon for effortless rapping with hints of mania to help you remember who you’re talking to. Seems he found the way to be badass without try-harding.
Darxx seems to be a Rap historian recording worldly events with vivid detail and care: “Been a minute since I began this quarantine/ […]/ Confinement in my quarters daily got my passion choking/ Paranoid in public, nothing feels the same/ […]/ Miss my mates, my family members, even love that was forsaken/ For granted so much taken to reveal the shame.” This is the first time in three songs that Darxx goes for slant rhyming and he’s doing a good job thus far. On Loco, his flow is monochromatic and linear therefore having a parallel presence to the instrumental.
The two-liner that serves as a transitory hook between Darxx and Salus Herb also fills in the role of a bridge: “It’s hard living without acting loco/ You tryna make it harder, that’s a no-go.”
If first we had the badass, then the historian, well now we got the studious scholar: “I’m loco it’s fine I’ll go ahead and roll the dice/ Snake eyes surprise I look into the sky/ See the words they speak begin to crystalize/ Reignite insight that was my guiding light/ Looking down the line but never giving up the fight/ A fight never fought is a fight always lost.” Salus Herb represents Loco‘s spiritual summit by proudly emphasizing his divine calling.
Salus Herb is the one on top, closest to God. Darxx is the one on Earth, understanding humans best. And Levi Deadman is the underground Lord that is ready to snap heads at the smallest problem.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx), Levi Fuchs (Levi Deadman) – Artists, Songwriters; Edgar Miguel (SalvaSquared) – Music Producer; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Recording and Sound Engineer.
4. Practice
Practice, the fourth song off Up From Here, makes an imposing entrance due to the trumpets of outstanding beauty and grandeur. Now it’s time for Salus Herb to take lead: “Let me think back to that atmosphere track/ When I talked smack and didn’t know how to act/ Ran the race track and strived for cheap laughs/ Went escape hatch and smoked some green crack.” The Rap artist flaunts a heavy, robust cadence underlining every single word. A rather old-school approach which of course, Gen X and Gen Z are fascinated by. The first because they grew with it and the second because they think it’s mad cool.
The following lyrics have touched us to the core and proved why Salus Herb is everything he says he is: “Thank you to the legends that helped me to be a better man/ Understand what it means having a purpose and a plan/ Get my mind right take flight to new heights/ Bless my divine rites make tight with good light.” Finally a young artist giving props to those before him. If Nicki Minaj had done this when coming up, Lil Kim would have never been up her arse as much and to THAT extent we’ve all seen manifest over… decades.
We value the fact that Humble Prophets made hooks a regular staple of their records: “Either you sit down or stand up, either way get your hands up/ Show love to the folks at your side, if you close to the finish, blow past the line.” It is very easy to imagine a concert crowd going with their hands up and down, repeating the hook, summoning those good old days of when Hip Hop was respected to the point of madness.
Darxx becomes very holistic himself on Practice: “Never live my life hollow, bet I’m claiming that one on God/ Hard defeating enemies in the mirror/ Self-love needed if you wanna see it clearer/ Keep ya cards close and ya eyes on the pot/ Feeling heaven in my message, why the hell would I stop.” The sublime lyrical quality Darxx grants the audience on this song is ever so endearing. Now he’s coming full circle after he’s spoken fervently about humans, their duality, and their rationale.
With a message for all ages and all proveniences, the duo uninhibitedly and stunningly leave the crowd with pastor-like guidance: “Live up to the potential you possess/ Be at ease with living within your own flesh/ No stress capable of taking your mind/ No speed bump worth breaking your stride.”
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Ben Cironi (Acclimated Assassin) – Music Producer; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Recording and Sound Engineer.
5. Do The Knowledge
Imagine an expensive movie set from the 1940s. That is how accurately sophisticated the instrumental of Do The Knowledge is. The violin is suave, the drums are sweet-sounding, the piano is classy. Three times yum!
With new keenness and determination, Darxx marks the beginning of Do The Knowledge, the fifth track on the project: “Daily operation is to the step in the arena/ Claim a price that’s hard to earn then afterwards, I’m saying see ya/ Below the heavens but above where it’s dark as well as hot/ Tryna get free as Dead Prez, My name is Darxx and yours is not.” As you’ll have noticed, the overall sound effect is a blend between generations amalgamating modern unexcitable flow with classic production methodology. Unaltered vocals are paired with fine-tuned instruments. Proceeding with an extraordinary and almost obsessive attention to detail, Darxx firmly attributes one’s calling to the metaphysical input: “Lord willing’ I’m eclipsing like a master of the universe/ Me against the world, moment of truth, ‘bout time to do the work/ Styles mystic like about twelve times three/ Never left, I don’t look for it because hell finds me.”
This is a first! No hook for Do The Knowledge. And that’s okay because we got four songs with a catchy element for one that is pure bars from three artists. Accordingly, Salus Herb adds to the story: “When the atmosphere overcast I sit under the stairs/ Questions in the form of answers when I’m in disrepair/ My mind’s a binary star Yeah I’m master of the universe/ Sound providing the field ante up on every verse.” It would appear every time Salus Herb opens his mouth, you’re greeted with strong ethereal influence. Fun Fact: we are, as a matter of fact, receiving more and more submissions from Rap artists undertaking the role of moral compass troopers. Are we all awakening in the purest, truest, sincerest form and not just going with whatever is socially accepted? Let’s hope so.
Salus Herb then gets very specific in giving credits to those who influenced him: “Smoking Big Poppa that Bizarre Ride method/ […]/ On the Cypress Hill meditation in the temple of boom/ My mind will chill Wu-Tang in the room/ Midnight Marauders cause my mind to wanders/ Gang Starr, JDilla salute to forefathers.” If Salus Herb had performed this record in front of a Hip Hop judge panel, he’d get a standing ovation.
We don’t know the third artist’s, DilaJintz, age but he comes in from an unprecedented angle speaking in past tense and has his own glorious pinnacle right around here: “Art of rap from Rakim was supreme/ Parents seen and were worried I’d be eaten by the streets/ On the wrong side of the tracks, learning what the poor righteous had to teach/ Guarantees, when I seen Atmosphere in ‘13.” The impact of DilaJintz’s presence on the track is analogous to the cherry on top of a three-layered cake. Marvelous!
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx), Dillon Johnson (DilaJintz) – Artists, Songwriters; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Music Producer, Recording and Sound Engineer.
6. Diamond Eyes
The sixth song, Diamond Eyes, underwent a bumpy but rewarding road which has affirmed the duo’s commitment to materializing Up From Here: “We were all kicking it at JHustle’s house. Smoke and drinks aplenty, J was cooking this absolute banger which was Diamond Eyes. We’re writing, we’re freestyling, we’re all hyped, and out of nowhere, the Muppet deletes almost the entire beat. We’re all so baked at this point that we just laugh it off, use what’s left off the beat, and move on with what you’re hearing today,” shares Salus Herb.
Darxx shows off a superior rhyming pattern that’s irrefutable and a change of vocal approach that you’d have difficulty recognizing. “On my last leg, living like I’m half-dead/ Still keep the flava in ya ear like Mack said/ […]/ Evident in lessons that tested my will to make it/ Foundation shaken but never could villains break it,” he’s back to flaunting his perfect rhymes and he becomes a prime example of a versatile but consistent artist. He raps along the cold but organic instrumental, letting it supply the star quality he provides the audience with. To mark the final segment of his verse, Darxx employs a fun, staccato flow on the following lines: “Blanket statement, take the fake and eradicate/ Face to face, things ain’t the same, it be sad to say/ Shape and mold my fate in ways I be able to.”
The second verse belongs to Cap Lewis, who compared to all of the artists and syllable constructs until now, he keeps it short, simple, but very efficient: “Overstress and overthinking/ Why I’m not achieving/ Four evictions on my credit/ Feelin’ like time depleting/ But I’m blessed/ And highly favored/ So I don’t feel defeated.” His vocal register hints of an old-school aficionado with barking undertones and displays an equally huge gravitas amount in his delivery. Cap Lewis then touches on a scaringly relatable situation: “Certain people hit me up just to tell me how they feel/ But they don’t really know how I feel/ so what’s the deal?”
Salus Herb is the third and last artist on Diamond Eyes, basing his narrative on the same major principles as before. He speaks of ignorance, “Broken minds of frozen times”, divine call, “Seeing rhymes I’m saving lives”, avarice, “Diamond eyes – a soul’s demise”, and brutal honesty, “No dissing I’m realistic with the truth that I hold.” Being the certified cool acknowledger that he demonstrated to be time and time again, he then speaks in first person plural, thus including and rendering the other two participating artists as momentous as himself: “So we 3 beasts of lyrical emcees/ Drop seeds on beat for your mind to go receive/ Perceive my dreams of paradise we all eat/ Open eyes no greed avarice or deceit.”
Diamond Eyes will find favor with many listeners as it speaks on the consequences of prioritizing material greed over spiritual fulfillment that comes with doing the correct thing for oneself and those around you.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx), Devon Rivers (CapLewis) – Artists, Songwriters; Julian Arenas (J Hustle) – Music Producer; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Recording and Sound Engineer.
7. False Alarm
What a melancholic, sweet change of pace! The sampled intro for False Alarm is a dashing assertion of empathy through the admission of one’s failed judgement upon the person they’ve entrusted with their feelings (You tore my feelings, all apart).
In a most compelling manner, Salus Herb goes on to influence the development of False Alarm post the Soul intro: “Way back in days back in my ignorant ways/ Running in a craze trying to find my place/ Moving through the maze my fire gives me chase/ Ignorant of the pain that I will surely face.” He selected his words to provide an ample picture of his personal past enough to make you feel anxious for the character. We also observe his top-notch ability to rhyme harsh-ending words (words that end in a cut consonant sound rather than the much-easier-to-adapt vowels): “Weird truth is it was a heaven and hell/ So many friends but only as clientele/ People always calling but only for themselves/ Always watch your back for them laws as well.”
The marching drums root the song in a most austere atmosphere. Those vibes are neatly encapsulated as well by the demeanor both artists employ to satisfy their audience. This is serious. This demands your undivided attention.
Darxx seems to be at his most vulnerable point on Up From Here so far, as he confesses to having been tricked: “Got me on that false alarm, I be outta real attention/ Pulling dirty tricks, that’s without revealing methods/ Emotional magician, manipulate positions/ No wonder every time I wanna kick, you be missing.” One is inclined to think he’s talking of a toxic relationship for he uses combinations of words that usually pertain to a couple in distress: “emotional magician,” “you be missing,” “did me wrong,” “thought of us,” “your charm.”
False Alarm is a beauty of a record of only two minutes but it is one packed abundantly with substantial words, genuine admissions, and a sublime soul sample.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Jeffery Kizer (Kizer) – Music Producer; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Recording and Sound Engineer.
8. W&B
It would appear Salus Herb and Darxx had an agreement on the first part of the 11-track project to let Darxx take the lead, whereas the second part sees more of Salus Herb spitting the first bars: “Just getting up with a stretch and a yawn/ Why am I getting up at the crack of dawn/ Gotta get to work so I get a move on/ Take a deep breath and a hit from the bong.” If 7 songs showed us how spiritually oriented is Salus Herb, W&B by contrast features the very earthly, relatable life the artist finds himself in in the mornings: “Walk around my house on some rubber legs/ Whip up some bacon and some scrambled eggs/ Drinking plenty of water to help hydrate.” To be noted how the rapper adapts his flow to the message of the song, going heavier when it’s serious and lighter when it’s about daily trivialities. A sort of artistic pragmatism that comes with years of experience.
In the dialogue that follows between Salus Herb and Darxx, a peculiar instrumental aspect comes to life. The beat is completely stripped of all drums and leaves the piano intact. A risky, bold move on the producer’s side but which turns to serve right the two artists.
Darxx by now, seems to have completely switched places with Salus and albeit talking about the morning routine as well, he projects his mundane experience to be a rather reflective one: “Woke up in the morning even though I didn’t wanna/ […]/ On a life-long bender, sending love to those who similar/ Rather die fast instead of slow so I live it up.” His up-and-down, almost comical flow, is a shrewd calculation for it balances the much-heavier message he’s sending: “Both sides of my candle, they steady be getting burnt/ Either get played or play the game, been searching for a higher score/ Laugh at who I used to be and the lessons he didn’t learn.”
Truth be told, W&B would be one of our top selections off Up From Here because of its sheer simplicity, unexpected instrumental, sound message. It is a unique creation in a market full of artists flexing mightily hard to win over your favoritism.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Music Producer, Recording and Sound Engineer.
9. Get It
Another unquestionably different creation is Get It. It stands out from the bunch in the industry but it is congruent with what we’ve witnessed so far from the Humble Prophets. The electro-synth sets things in motion in quite an optimistic tone. The FX buildup coincides with Darxx dropping bars: “I been living, I been dying, I been smoking, I been drinking/ Zig-zagging path to salvation, hoping that I make it/ Taking punches like a boxer, I’m caught inside a cycle/ Looking forward, walking backward, I’m feeling like I’m Michael.” The Rap artist continues in a dynamic cheerful enough but always centered around his steady topics of choice: “Don’t got a lot of time, this rhyme halfway finished/ Set a flame so many chances, my ashtray flipping/ Missing things from in the past, wouldn’t say I’m nostalgic/ Blessed to claim don’t have to say that I be tryna find a calling.” Curiously enough, when he seems to be offbeat, he slides right back in catching the drums in sync with his accentuated rhymes.
When Salus Herb kicks in, the natural question that arrives is: how do these two find a million different ways to profess their love for creating music? Only the chosen ones could pull this off. “All I’m ever doing is making rhymes escaping ruin/ Make a vibe make a movement wasting time never doin’/ […]/ To make my dreams through my fly rhyme schemes/ My mind in high seas to perceive my own dreams/ Words spoken high key while I sow these seeds/ Swaying on my feet to the rhythm of a heartbeat,” raps Salus Herb in vast symmetrical chunks.
The Lo-Fi instrumental coupled with the raw-sounding lead vocals of the two talents take the shape of a Chill Hop bop. Get It feels like the prelude before the grand finale of Up From Here.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Jake Esposito (Espoproductions) – Music Producer; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Recording and Sound Engineer.
10. Reflections
While initially cautious, “Reflecting through objections of a memories collection/ Deflecting true perfection from a lack of my retention, ”Salus Herb then becomes more aggressive and assertive of his position in his own thought sphere, “Inspecting whose selection is really my attention/ Respecting my decision no matter what they mention.” That ladies and gents, is the introduction of Reflections for you.
With courageous grace and a sort of benignant self-criticism, Salus Herb places his work ethic and flawed aspect of his human existence in parallel lines: “Certain of our purpose as the world keeps turning/ Practice makes perfect so I keep on working/ Flirting with my worthless side that leaves me hurting.” As he goes on to become strongly agreeable, Salus Herb presents the upside of persistent work: “Change now up down now we moving crowds/ Around town leaps bounds my vibe and sound.”
And then, out of nowhere, he sings! Salus Herb can actually sing and while he’s not doing riffs and runs, he surely can control his voice and hit them notes! “Reflections time keeps running by/ See the smiling faces all those devil’s in disguise/ Wonder where my place is will I ever fly/ Eyes keep on tracing corners of my mind,” goes the soft and rolling hook. You warm up to it rather instantly since it reveals a kind of happy ruefulness.
Darxx on the other hand, commences his verse with a Sixth Sense type of mood: “I’m seeing people who aren’t there more than people who are/ Like I could reach out and touch them but just a bit too far/ Crazy how I’m surrounded feeling so isolated/ Peaceful kinda state of mind, I’m tryna find my way in.” The artist is then brutally committed to keeping the grim tonalities omnipresent from start to end, going as far as depicting himself as in a horror-living movie: “No wonder now the only company’s the voice in my head/ That makes me so sick these days, I will rejoice when I’m dead/ Grim disposition but my mission tell you the truth/ The sky is falling on my mind like it fell through the roof.” One thing you’ll take away from this verse is that Darxx refines his gloom into lucrative Rap bars that corroborate his MC qualities.
With one more lovely hook that sounds like a lullaby, Reflections comes to an end leaving the audience with two sides of the same coin: the beautiful human existence and its devious ways to self-sabotage.
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous) – Music Producer, Recording and Sound Engineer.
11. Make It A Double
The Humble Prophets have decided to conclude their common effort with another Chill Hop jam. This probably was the best possible sonic choice given that their talents range from raw bars and commercial hooks to comical flows and heavy guests on their tracks.
Make It A Double holds the electric guitar and acoustic guitar with great distinction as they’re leading the beat in tandem, followed by the fitting drums and entertaining flows of the artists. The type of song that The Roots would do a live backup to. Maybe one day?! We’d be in the first row to cover it. ⭐
Darxx finally makes peace with both his transgressions and spiritual findings: “Between alpha and omega since the days I played a Sega/ Since my genesis, my benefits have outweighed my behavior/ Took for granted all my wishes ‘till they sadly came to life/ My destruction and desire stands before bathed in light.” It just came to our observation that despite being two major Rap presences, the Humble Prophets made little to no use of curse words throughout the project. Impressive!
The artist flows through a gentle descent and then summarizes his current state of mind as well as his promise to the game in the last 4 bars of his verse: “I need my mojo back like Austin/ At this point I don’t even track my losses/ Still put in work, you can go and ask my bosses/ Leave the rap exhausted ‘till my casket dropping.” Woosh! We can point a whole lot of ladies that’d be jealous of such a for-better-or-worse level of commitment.
The hook is majestic in its hard, not-so-subtle choice of words: “We call ourselves Humble Prophets/ But do not call our prophets humble/ Dopeness the only thing we dealing/ And we gon’ deal it on the double.” That’s the only context we’d like to see Rap veterans and new voices promote “dope dealing.”
Salus Herb lays down a realistic interpretation of taking the bad with the good and vice versa: “Go straight from the car to the back of bar/ A double to release my troubles let my mind drift afar/ Nothing subtle of rebuttals just smile and a chuckle/ The struggle to keep a huddle of fans for the shovels.” The rapper follows his substantial words with an even better flow, commanding the beat while stealing the spotlight all to himself. With minute detail, Salus Herb goes toe-to-toe with Darxx’s final point: “So yea Austin stand up go and represent/ no Robin the hood here were just some merry men/ Prophets we blessed up no pushing the future tense/ Knowing love and legacy is what we’re buried with.”
Song Credits: Steven Dutton (Salus Herb), Dylan Harkins (Darxx) – Artists, Songwriters; Curtis Igunbor (Mc Righteous), Jack Montesinos, Joe Roddy – Music Producers.
A professional, impartial ear will know to appreciate both the modern affinities and the lo-fi moments on the project, whereas an untrained ear will highly admire the vastness of emotions found on Up From Here. In conclusion, the Humble Prophets found a neat way to please curators and listeners alike.
Make sure you stream this glorious project on Apple Music HERE, on Amazon HERE, on Deezer HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2021
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 