Demize

The nuances of hip hop today tend to focus more on the vague topics of getting money and falling prey to their more carnal vices, which while sometimes including women, hardly ever delve into the inter-communication and subsequent battle the sexes face on an everyday basis. “Hard to Pretend is the forerunner from the Chicago, IL native Demize’s new album Loud Pack 2 (due Summer 2014), the follow up to his 2012 release Loud Pack and in this record Demize deftly moves from the norm and ordinary to recount the feelings he has for a girl who is non- requital (partly due to being in a relationship already) and the difficulties their situation faces as he begins catching feelings himself. I have no doubt that by the time the album comes around this song will be a staple of neighborhoods everywhere as the infectious hook and memorable rhymes will ignite the sweltering days and keep the dance floors jammed packed through the cool nights; this is a summer anthem through and through.

The song comes across relatable as many of us have been in positions where we want something from someone who couldn’t give it to us and this song captures that theme perfectly. What jumps out at me initially is the instrumental, co-produced by Juse and Demize himself; the heavy synths, kicks and snares provide a fitting backdrop for Demize to aptly tell his story in a honest way: “I knew from the start this package came with a man/ I was cool with f*** buddy should’ve stuck with the plan/ spent her whole vacation naked, fell in love with my bed/ yeah, that memory foam got her memory gone” This kind of reflection in hip hop is rare but Demize’s ability to bypass the cliché for something more is uncanny. Another aspect of the song I found interesting was the inclusion of the Japanese fetish of eyeball licking—that he would not only reference the phenomenon but in the context of the song have it make total and absolute sense—it shows his range and ability to step cleanly and concisely outside of the box.

The second verse builds even further with lines like “So cruel and rare/ she got silk for hair/ forced to stay with her man, Slumdog Millionaire”. By this time it’s evident Demize is deeply tangled in her web of seduction and I really dug Demize’s ability to move the tale along without much trouble and complete the experience by song’s end without any loose ends. Masterful work and I look forward to hearing more from the Chicago MC soon. In closing, overall the performance is strong because it is well written, encapsulates the mood perfectly and isn’t shy about being controversial.

Artist: Demize
Title: “Hard to Pretend”
Review by: Charles Sweet
Rating: 5 (out of 5 stars) - Charles Sweet