Aspiring rapper Nathan Charles from Lompoc, CA. makes his entry on our site with his new EP Coping Mechanisms. The genre-fusing act gives listeners a wide range of his influences and experiences on wax. The 5 track body of work captures the young man’s inner struggles and journey as a black man trying to make something out of nothing.

The project is a fusion of styles ranging from trap, experimental soul, and electronic elements. It opens up with the dreamy ethereal vibes of “Stoned (Like Darius)” where the rapper embodies the spirit of his favorite Atlanta character. He delivers an impassioned performance laced with unapologetic lyrics like “Don’t judge us then, it’s some fucked up shit/I don’t even know why we still discussing it?”  concerning race relations and a system hellbent on putting the black man down. The follow-up track “Country Burning” continues the off-beat style with its airy production but the icing on the cake here is Charles’ visceral performance and reflective lyrics. In “In My Feelings” he makes use of a cinematic backdrop that starts off drumless and switches up as it progresses into an EDM-type production. On here, he takes time to tackle real-time issues such as racial disparities and how some folks are too scared to add their voice for fear of being judged or otherwise. The title track follows suit with a classic drum break and atmospheric textures that fit Charles’ insightful lyris about life, death, and his family. The final track “vibrate (Growth)” is his own interpolation of Outkast’s song of the same title. He uses the track to close out the project with his own perspective on sexuality and the dynamics of the male ego in relationships.

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