This week, Tope released his “TROUBLE MAN” EP. From the time Tope gave us the first single from this album, “Stuck”, I have been anxiously awaiting the official release of this project. “Trouble Man”, Tope’s fourth EP, dropped one week ago. Every track was written, recorded and produced by Tope, mixed and mastered by DJ Flip Flop, with scratches by DJ Celsius, trumpet by Farnell Newton and cello by Chloe Victoria Cerva. The album features Luck One, Grynch, Spac3man and Co$$.
Every track of “Trouble Man” is steeped in Tope’s chill style and keeps right up with his reputation for quality music. For the most part, the entire album is laid back and up beat, so I was caught off guard when bonus track, “Good Riddance”, came on right there at the end. This track hits the listener like a freight train, with the hook saying, “Good riddance, be gone. If you ain’t part of the team, then move the fuck on.” Co$$ and Tope both brought everything out for this one.
I always appreciate artists who pay tribute to the people who got them where they are. No one effects us more directly than our family. This goes for positive family relationships as well as the negative. Tope does a great job of giving recognition to his family in this album. When Tope was 19 years old, his mother lost her life to a very serious drug addiction. On this album, an entire track, “About You/Birthday Song”, is dedicated to updating his mother on the most recent events in his life. “My mom was always a huge supporter of my music, so I know she would be really pleased with every that’s happened,” said Tope, when asked about his relationship with his mom. Another track on the album, “What Up” calls out friends, family, and fellow hip hop artists, thanking them for their contribution to his life and career.
Tope has connections all over the Northwest hip hop scene, and could have featured artists on every single track of this album if he had wanted to. Personally, I appreciate that he kept things very personal on this project, making himself the only voice heard on over half of the tracks on the album. No one else can tell your story, and some of these songs definitely open up parts of Tope’s journey that he hasn’t rapped about on previous projects. The artists he did select to feature were absolutely fantastic choices; Four of the most talented artists in the region.
Tope’s “Trouble Man” EP is available on Tope’s BandCamp.
Twitter: @itsTOPE
