Indie rapper Fakhro brings an emotionally powerful stance to the forefront in his latest project, What´s Past Is Prologue, a 6 track project that explores love, loss, heartbreak and self-discovery. Fusing contemporary sounds with country, hip-hop and soul, Fakhro takes audiences through his experiences and how they led him up to this point.

The project begins with the cinematic “Damn,” a dark and reflective piece that centers on his fears, hopes and dreams as he battles demons within and more. The soundscape is ominous and urgent, and serves as the perfect backdrop for  profound lines like “What’s past is prologue/What’s present does have a twist/My higher learning came with revelation/’Cause at any given thought, brothers can lose to the temptation.” The next track, “Road To Perdition,” is a dark piano-led, reflective track that focuses on self-forgiveness, religion, faith and the difficult process of finding inner peace in an unforgiving world. As the title suggests, it’s Fakhro’s journey and the hurdles he has to face to reach his destination. This leads into “Remedy,” a solemn tune about blossoming love and the act of giving grace even though one has been burned one too many times. Fakhro leads the track with his distinctive melodic runs that is both expressive and warm but more importantly, the lyrics are the icing on the proverbial cake. He walks us through the progress of building a true human connection with lines like “We both crave honesty so let us be sincere/Your conduct meets with caution as the heart break/I dwelled lonely in hotels and felt the ache/The healing, I had to do the love I outgrew/I’m familiar with your anxiety, I had it too/But we can start anew, leave the past behind/Embrace the present together, I got something in mind” which underpins his honesty as a man of integrity.

The project continues with the core life themes as heard on “Holy Grail” and “Scars.” The former deals with the outcome of one’s decisions and destiny, while the latter dives into the jaded mind of an individual who is angry at the world for the cards it dealt him. Fakhro unveils layers of emotions on these tracks as he also covers themes of vulnerability, doubt and pain, something most rappers tend to ignore. The final track “God’s Lone Man,” deals with the ardouos task of self healing and finding one’s true purpose. The title refers to him having God as his only backup, and he is content with the thought. Lines like “I walked alone in heavy rain/Not a soul has seen me cry/I feel God’s mercy through my pain” underscores his faith and how he has slowly improved it with time.

Overall, What´s Past Is Prologue is a dense and cohesive project that sticks to the plot. The beats have similar vibes, dark keys, cinematic pads, with soft to mildly crunchy drums that all serve as the right canvas for Fakhro’s profound lyricism.