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Reuben Vincent makes intellectual, socially conscious, and lyrically dexterous rap that firmly plants him next in line among the lineage of North Carolina MCS who’ve left their mark on the genre. Though the Charlotte rapper/producer is only 22 years old, he’s already hustled hard in his home state, releasing records with 9th Wonder, touring with Bas, Rapsody, and creating songs full of wisdom well beyond his years. In his growing catalog, Vincent deftly balances incisive social commentary, mature introspection, and sharp, allusion-heavy wordplay tailored for rap scholars. The Roc Nation signee knows where the form has been, and now he’s pushing it forward. “I want to be one of the greats,” Vincent says. “9th Wonder and Jamla Records are helping, and will continue to help me do that. Now that Roc Nation has put me on a bigger platform, I’ll get there.” Love Is War, Vincent’s first joint release with Jamla Records and Roc Nation, is a conceptual yet subtly constructed album that will put him at the forefront of debates about new rap greats. He unpacks relationships and romantic entanglements over warm, soulful beats from 9th Wonder, Young Guru, and other producers (himself included) whose work modernizes and morphs boom-bap. With polished and varied flows, he weighs the time spent on love against the hours necessary to pursue his art (“Feb13th”), examines our fascination with money (“Mon’e”), and finds the value of self-confidence (“Butterfly Doors”).
