Your word is indeed your bond and your reputation always preceeds you. So what would it take for an emcee to build up a name that is well received? It would entail a mastery of words harnessed by a catchy cadence and a crisp delivery. On “Reputation” you hear Lagos, Nigerian based emcee Phlow giving samples of all of the above. The tight edits and animations of the visual pulls Phlow to the center of attention. When Phlow rhymes, “Only God knows who will go far, so I’m religiously playing my cards,” she not only is speaking on her determination, but also letting us know she’s been dealt a hell of a hand as an emcee.

The counterpart in her visual rocking a Word Is Bond snapback (coming soon here to the site!) is our own Teck-Zilla who produced the track. The unrelenting snare helps build up Plow’s presence here and while Teck gives credit due to the sample as a flip of Yvonne Fair’s classic “Let Your Hair Down,” many heads will be drawn back to Jay-Z’s grimy “Where I’m From.” This is a great pairing of sound to message as it all leads to one central point; Phlow is on a mission to become an emcee worthy of your attention and she’s willing to put in the work to get there.