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None of these shortcomings obscure Raury’s raw musical talent, however.
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That’s a fine approach to a Twitter feed, but it hardly makes for an artistic statement. Raury, on the other hand, comes off as a paranoid rebel child simply parroting the messages of his idols. Scott-Heron had credibility and a mature perspective when he radicalized his listeners - his music feels authentic, and his edifying rhetoric feels grounded in authority. It’s a big, confident message, but he fails to back it up with a sense of realness. On the opening track “Revolution,” he seemingly attempts to channel the doomsaying prophecies of the legendary hip-hop forefather Gil Scott-Heron, blithely rapping, “The insipid mothafucka called humanity / Raping and damaging everything in its way / Its daughter will be raised on McDonald’s and gasoline water / Each day now a battle for morals or dollars.” It’s clear that he has some wisdom to share, but he has yet to master the art of subtlety. This heavy-handedness contributes to a sense of self-importance that throws the whole project off-balance. Like a lot of young writers, he’s guilty of too much tell and not enough show. On the one hand, it’s a noble attempt to dismantle the commercialized glorification of Atlanta’s biggest and most tragic hip-hop export, but on the other hand, it’s incredibly on-the-nose and corny. On “Trap Tears,” he repurposes a Nicki Minaj hook to gloomily repeat “Tears in the trap, tears in the trap” over an indulgent 808 beat with melodramatic layered synths. Unfortunately, a lot of the supposed sophistication he injects comes off as contrived.
RAURY ALL WE NEED GENIUS SKIN
(“Forbidden knowledge can destroy mankind / We can grow out of control like cancer under the skin of Mother Nature / Busy cities much alike to a tumor / Too many cells, the residents, the body’s polluter.”) His casually rapped verses are especially unpolished, reminiscent of Jaden Smith in both their adolescent flow and forced attempts at depth. His message is well-intentioned and thoughtful, but the flower child persona he painstakingly cultivates around it can be taxing. But while his talents are big, his ambitions are bigger, and he often oversteps his means, trying desperately to convey something beyond his grasp. Musically, “All We Need” is a tour de force, as Raury demonstrates an impressive knack for varied songwriting while maintaining a distinct and enjoyable sound. The 19-year-old’s debut studio album, “All We Need,” is a tangle of folk, hip-hop, R&B and electronic influences, and he rarely records a track without crossing some sort of sonic boundary. Raury is the Atlanta music scene’s self-declared indigo child, an adept vocalist and songwriter with sweeping messages of peace, love and armageddon delivered in saccharine lyrics and warm acoustic productions. Raury performing with his signature sunhat.