Rochelle Bloom – “Partly Cloudy” dazzles with lyrical acrobatics and rich storytelling
Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, and now residing in Atlanta, Rochelle Bloom’s music has been featured in the hit TV show Charmed, and has grabbed attention from rapper and media personality Joe Budden, who stated her rhymes are fire, while others claim that Rochelle, is one of the new-comers they are excited about. Bloom’s music has also opened doors for her to perform as an opening act for megastars such as Ludacris, Rae Sremmurd and more. Graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship, she has also hustled her way into an internship with N.A.R.S. Records where she began learning about the business side of being an artist.
It’s fascinating to watch in bewilderment as the rap and hip hop genre metamorphoses into an incarnation that is entirely different from its roots. Though even as the form becomes unrecognizable, occasionally a record resonates even for someone like myself who has seen and heard it all.
Rochelle Bloom’s “Partly Cloudy” dazzles with lyrical acrobatics and rich storytelling. The rapper’s new full-length effort is greater than the sum of its parts and provides a dark and charming introduction to the magnificent Rochelle Bloom, musical persona.
Rochelle Bloom’s flighty ruminations are truly the record’s highlight. With a strong cinematic core sound already in tow, Rochelle teeters the borderline between a traditional rap and the wildly-uncharted alternative territory, slowly seeping into several strains of mainstream music.
From when the album opens with the mysteriously dark “Stories I Create In My Head” (Produced by Fakulty Studios), it is damn good the whole time, opting to play close to Bloom’s strengths without leaping too drastically in any direction. There’s a slice of every Rochelle Bloom incarnation to please everyone: provocateur, sweet, strange – all fluctuating in effectiveness while keeping an engaging baseline.
Rochelle Bloom is one of the most thrilling vocalists in rap, owning her enigmatic demeanor whenever she plays on the verbal drama, and remaining charming when she plays it cooler. “Stay” ft.Rez Leon (Produced by Reggie Rock) brings a fresh dose of melody to juxtapose Bloom’s breathy verses. “Language” (Produced by Reggie Rock) is immediately alluring thanks to its wonderfully psychedelic score and Bloom’s fresh take on rap’s lyrical tropes.
While dark, epic and cinematic rap may still be an acquired taste for some, Rochelle Bloom natural adoption of this aesthetic plays perfectly into maxing out her best artistic sensibilities. It reaches its apex on “Come To Me” (Produced by Reggie Rock), and the beautiful, ethereal intrigue of “Juice” (Produced by Pess Music). She is way ahead of the curve of mainstream’s acceptance of these sounds. Bloom pushes ahead relentlessly, her versatility granting her different angles of unpredictably.
Rochelle Bloom is an artist doing exactly as she wants, and thriving in the process. She flexes her musical muscles over a soulful and infectious beat on “Grapes In Napa Valley” (Produced by Fakulty Studios), where retro-horns and resonating basslines meet.
Bloom’s determined flow remains the driving force throughout every track, effortlessly guiding the differing beats with her focused poetry and cutting lyrical delivery, and proving why she should be considered among the best in the business.
“Sunshine ft. Rez Leon (Produced by Fakulty Studios x Boogie Bueno) closes the album down, where once again we get to savor the blend of soulful melody, and nuanced rapping. Rochelle Bloom continues to embrace her eccentric spirit, embracing an eclectic array of sounds that defy traditional genre conventions and ultimately make “Partly Cloudy” one of the most exciting rap albums of the year.
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