“Across the Way is actually my first distributed release. Now, at 37 I finally have my sh*t together and have grown past my thinking of 15 years ago when I thought all I had to do was make good quality, dope ass music and the rest would just fall into place, right? Lol I feel stupid just saying this. I spent an enormous amount of time as an observer. I used to work graveyeard shifts as a cook and because I was often alone in the kitchen, I would write and play the beats while cooking. And just so much anger piled up and I wanted to express those feelings without overwhelming the listener. I think I succeeded,” jarringly sincere shares Ripples AKA Auditory Genius from Yachats, Oregon for Blue Rhymez Entertainment.
And we attest to the fact. Across the Way bears every mark of refined anger, astutely constructed catchy bars, and a triumphant instrumental relying primarily on three instruments. An amalgamation full of whimsical happenings that ensures first-time listeners to become full-time fans of Ripples AKA Auditory Genius.
The acutely felt melancholic vibes promise an impactful narrative to follow. The secluded electric guitar takes delight in leading the instrumental being aided by Ripples’ curt ad-libs. At twelve seconds in, a colorful whistle enters the picture implying a balanced take on the music. A sudden protraction of all instruments into a thick silence alerts the audience about the upcoming beat drop. “I’m just another human being who struggles day to day/ A little more than most/ But not as much as they/ I’m not some preacher pushing promises of freedom in some way/ I’m an ordinary man/ Who probably lives across the way,” raps Ripples AKA Auditory Genius with a heavy underlying earworm ring to it. One might very well take this for the chorus.
After denouncing the collective indifference towards today’s issues, the Auditory Genius employs a remarkable directness in his words: “Maybe you just can’t relate/ And everything is dandy, great/ You express yourself with drugs/ And writing lyrics filled with hate/ But wait, your little sister’s eight/ Maybe it’s your daughters, hey/ Everything you set as an example might just cloud their way.” Woah! The rapper’s message and call to revise one’s moral priorities rise like a giant and take on a more alarming stance: our young ones are already being corrupted by spiritually careless adults.
The grandiose acoustic delivery vehemently continues with Ripples equally emphasizing all bars alike: “Little man you’re raising sees you hustling, blazing daily/ Surrounding him with drugs and alcohol/ Makes his judgment hazy/ He sees you acting shady/ You mistreat all the ladies/ Every time you drink, you seem to get angry and crazy.” The Rap artist at this point is drilling into the mind of the listener the threatening, demoralizing reality of modern society. The good news is that once you’ve pinpointed the issue, you can fix it. And Ripples AKA Auditory Genius does exactly that. The artist helps the public confront the unwritten plague of the 21st century through his own personal remarks.
For the most part Ripples’ flow adheres to the pattern set in the inaugural segment of the song and only undergoes slight underlines and accents resulting in a mixture of catchy motifs and monochrome rhyme schemes which help reinforce the message. Concurrently, the instrumental revels in simplicity, repetition, and leaving plenty of room for the artist to take the spotlight.
While approaching the final part of the song, the Auditory Genius makes a distinctive turn and spices up his flow: “And I battle my own duality, please don’t believe that I think that I’m perfect/ I’m everything but a beautiful mess behind these curtains/ Nothing is for certain/ I just express what I’m observing/ The way people conduct themselves/ It’s just unnerving.” The strikingly candid self-references that crystallize the artist’s own shortcomings are very much welcome and endearing. This amazing celerity of alternating between third person and first person recounts, completes the epic adaptability of Ripples’ narrating skill.
After concluding precisely on the same note as the one on which he kicked things off, “But I’m just another man who stands in front of you today/ The only difference is, I’ve got something to say/ With no guarantee, you’ll ever live to see another sunray/ When I’m dead and gone I just hope that/ My legacy/ It will stay,” Ripples AKA Auditory Genius is gradually leaving the music take center place by spacing out his outro ad-libs.
Across the Way ends on a majestic, whimsical sonorous experience. First, the electric guitar goes on to show off a hearty riff that matches Ripples in density and impression. Then, it is just the music and the tranquility that resides after the storm. The three minutes and forty-one seconds can be seen as the result of contemporary inner turmoil that many young souls will relate to. A sincere lyrical product layered on a beautiful instrumental with audacity and liveliness that come so naturally to Ripples AKA Auditory Genius.
Song Credits: Frank Kerstiens (Ripples AKA Auditory Genius) – Artist, Songwriter, Recording, Vocal Engineer; Yahor Sharenda (AnyWayWell) – Music Producer; Andre Gonsalves (ADG Mixing & Mastering) – Sound Engineer.
Make sure you support this new and daring talent names Ripples AKA Auditory Genius by streaming Across the Way on Apple Music HERE, on Amazon HERE, on Deezer HERE, on YouTube Music HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2021
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 