“Searching for balance, life’s journey, what I gathered, only worth it if it’s a challenge, inertia of abbots then try again” are the opening lines from the first track “Ashes” which sets the tone with its vivid storytelling and brooding soundscape.  Cheikh the Message leads audiences into his world with easy-to-follow rhyme schemes and detailed analogies and continues the journey on “478”. The production is solemn, and somewhat mystical as well. Here, the rapper takes the stance of a young scholar seeking his true purpose with lines like “Youth is fleeting in the age of media, get poofed, deleted/ Truth I seek and lay it all in the booth and you repeat it”. He understands that time is of the essence and tries to make the most out of it.

“Ember” has a surreal and atmospheric soundscape with muffled drums peppered by Cheikh the Message’s stream-of-consciousness schemes and emotion-laden flow while “Noise” has a smokey lounge-jazz vibe. The track is as moody as they come and continues the rappers’ engaging abstract style and lines like “I veered off track, must love running/Meanwhile they saying what they would do but never done something”. Over the length of close to 4 minutes, he digs deep into his psyche, his failings all the while juxtaposing it against the world around him. His observatory approach is quite commendable and his ability to show emotion without being too preppy or preachy gives the song a nice edgy touch. On “All2gether”,  Cheikh the Message talks about a myriad of issues ranging from sibling love, friendship, and loyalty and peppers it with a touch of surrealism as he spits “Money only as tangible as the days I was stuck in/ can’t function, I split the rap then filled it with some substance/Sunrise, crunch time, I’m out the tomb like a mummy/Whole summer going dummy, clutch control on all you puppets”.

The project closes out with the uplifting “Heaven” and the nostalgia-inducing  “So Free” which help bring the project full circle with its self-determination and aspirational themes. The former employs a soulful vocal sample as its foundation while Cheikh the Message leads listeners through his viewpoint. As a young black man, he knows the trappings and pitfalls of the world and he treads carefully with heartfelt lines like “The world is so cold, my circle serve as my sweater/I only hope to grow old/Circumvent all that resentment/Hold on to anger no more/I only work to be better”. The latter is introduced by a solemn piano riff and pitched-down vocal samples with choppy off-beat drums underpinned by a whole lot of introspective thoughts ranging from childhood naivety, holding on to the past, personal loss and never-ending struggles.

Overall breathe!, is a cohesive body of work that lives up to expectations. A big shoutout to producer Amiri Mikel, whose lofi/soul/jazz soundscapes form the cinematic canvas over which Cheikh the Message could paint perfect pictures over.