A summer tonic for the soul. Vsteeze and Funky DL respin old school hip-hop boom-bap vibes with this ever so refreshing four-track ep. A polished new addition to their already increasingly powerful discography. Building on the success from their debut EP ‘The Lilac Pack’.
Both talented in their own right, Vsteeze creates slick rhymes which captivate and bounce around Funky DL’s polished beats. Their first track Jam is a subtle way to take you into an expertly crafted tale of feel-good summer vibes. The track’s production is kept noticeably repetitive allowing for the listener to become hooked and familiar with the beat from the get-go. A stylistic approach is normally found in chill hop style beats, it’s not surprising to already hear it within this ep. Funky Dl places their samples perfectly, inflecting the track with old school RnB nuisances like backspins and that synonymous DJ saying “its jam”. Vsteeze straight away shows their skill and quick tongue with their rhymes. A soft relaxed voice nails every bar and line. I couldn’t help but wonder where a collaboration between Vsteeze and Khelani was. It almost seems like they would make a bomb track together.
Melange is the second track on the ep and this time it has more of an 80’s groove and funk vibe. The up-tempo track is a nice build-up from the slower song Jam. Vsteeze’s vocals echo on the bouncy synth-based beat whilst the sounds of almost a game reloading and shutting down repeat every time Vsteeze talks about going down. It seems too perfect to be an accident and already from hearing Funky Dl’s impeccable music production, I highly doubt it was accidental. I think it’s always important to appreciate both talents separately – Music production and vocals. What I enjoy about this EP already is that I can hear it’s co-created. I can hear Vsteeze experiment and shine with their vocals and style at the same time I can hear Funky DL play around with arrangements and instruments. It’s a real pleasure to hear such an EP like this.
Their third track is the lead single of the ep. It’s sexy, exotic and full of Latin grooves. Named groove, the track truly doesn’t disappoint and I can see why it’s their lead single. The Latin guitar loop creates a story of sunshine and blue skies whilst seemingly unpredictable bass tones create the Funky DL hallmark. Vsteeze slides on this track in the smoothest manner, their rhymes twist and twirl with their featured collaboration PF Elle. The mix of lower vocals and sharp rhymes creates a whole new level of melody and beat allowing for this track to be the show stopper. Keeping everyone listening to the ep from start to finish engaged and constantly discovering more about these talented artists.
The last track daydream just trickles into the ears. Liquidy ascending beats, solid beautiful piano chords and a simple drum beat create this twisty melodic tune. Vsteeze rhymes echo the style of Jorja smith in this fourth song. That slight talkative rap style is so infectious and in the British summer music scene, it is always so sought after. Vsteeze and Funky DL seem to be on a winner with this EP. The Honey Pack has already surpassed over 100,00 streams on Spotify. You can never truly pinpoint why a track is successful, I do believe with the honey pack the combination of incredibly talented musicians, old school RnB and hip-hop tinges and rhymes loosely centred around summer love is the perfect combination. I can’t wait to hear more from both Vsteeze and Funky DL.
Listen to The Honey Pack here: https://smarturl.it/thehoneypack