80s Bred: “Glisten (Real Ones)” – a rare and electric chemistry
80s Bred is a group out of Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA – a neighborhood outside of Baltimore. Having grown up as cousins, they claim to have a family unit that cannot be broken. The members, LD Won (Producer, artist), Shay Bunni (Singer), Geez Luiz (Rapper) and Queen (Singer) have musical backgrounds that range from church choirs to writing poetry. 80s Bred mixes genres from Rap to Neo Soul. The collective pack their single, “Glisten (Real Ones)” with a cornucopia of ideas to make the track compelling to all hip-hop connoisseurs. But while some hip-hop performers turn right with their productions and then head straight to the finishing line, 80s Bred turn left, head straight, come back, turn left again, and then turn right. And that is what makes this record so unbelievably astonishing.
And “Glisten (Real Ones)” is, more than anything, a work of entertainment, or of a group of artists entertaining themselves by screwing around with the exuberant energy that you miss when you get older. But for all the anarchy of its jazzy sensibility, the track is a work of art so sharp in its aim and execution that it’s pretty much beautiful.
The voices weave and interlock with a virtuosic assurance that is rare in the current urban music climate. Their deliveries are laidback and melodious, dipping in and out of the beat with chilling verve. You just don’t see this type of style in hip-hop nowadays.
Together, 80s Bred have a rare and electric songwriting chemistry that make utterly perfect songs out what initially sounds like a jam session. “Glisten (Real Ones)” is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments, those times when a group manages to pile everything that makes them special into four perfect minutes and three seconds.
Dizzily natural storytelling chops, viciously sweet harmonized hooks, gorgeously rendered counter-rhythms, punchlines that make sense, flows so intentionally groovy that you can’t help but be impressed by such essential talent.
With four talented members of similar mind producing and rhyming, the track has an amazingly natural feel both thematically and musically. “Glisten (Real Ones)” isn’t just a profound artistic statement, it is also arguably a valuable document in the ongoing dialogue of what it means to be on your grind but often disenfranchised.
So revisit this platter a few more times. Free your mind, free your ass, and take an unusual ride to a place that is infectious, thought provoking and essential. 80s Bred represent a nice change of pace from a lot of the other rap records out there that delve into much more fickle issues, so it definitely has its place in hip-hop.
80s Bred comes around at a time where Hip Hop has transitioned from lyrical rap to mumble sounds. They come here boldly with soulful and jazzy vibes. They do it so naturally that listeners will get the impression that these folks were born to do this.
80s Bred display a style that no other hip-hop groups are currently frequenting, and this track is the perfect opportunity to indulge in the genre’s creative side. This needs to be in the hands of a person who truly appreciates hip-hop outside of the box.
