RMR Nation, we’ve got something for y’all to add to your spooky season playlist, and that is PIVE’s latest project: I Will Forever Be Act 3. This album from beginning to end gives a deep, haunting sound that compliments his deep voice perfectly with a common message throughout: no matter what, music is there to help you feel understood even when nothing else is.
From Spokane, Washington, Ryan Mullane has already made a name for himself with his previous two incredible installments of I Will Forever Be, but this grand finale just proves that this artist continues to outdo himself. This latest piece is raw and it gets heavy, but that heaviness comes from something real.
Utmost respect is always due to a musician who is not afraid to go there and get serious with their music even if it’s about topics that can be uncomfortable for some like addiction and depression. While it’s usually not these kinds of topics that hit the mainstream as much as more positive ones, PIVE raps about the very fact that he’s aware of this and still wants to express himself the way he needs to for himself and not for anybody else.
In a new lyric video for “Lyrical Suicide,” PIVE has added a visual focus to this recurring message that he’s misunderstood more often than not, but this will never keep him from finding his release in music because this is what brings out the best in him. Music is medicine in its own rite, and that’s exactly what it takes for this hip-hop artist to level up over and over again. Speaking of which, if you do feel you need a break from all the heavy, “Level Up,” is a song to give a listen to (as well as get you hyped as hell), showing that PIVE still knows how to switch up the vibes.
Surprising no one, there’s something poetic about I Will Forever Be Act 3 that keeps you analyzing and reflecting throughout the whole album on PIVE’s life as well as your own. Tracks such as “Ghost Like,” “Scarecrow” and “Upside Down” (just to name a few) are examples of PIVE’s metaphorical lyricism that take his musical storytelling to a whole other level. Whether it’s about a scarecrow symbolizing lack of ingenuity or how you can find yourself feeling so different to the point of supernaturalism, this rhymester gets his point across in ways others wouldn’t even think of.
On top of that, you also got your songs like “Tell It Like It Is,” “Follow Our Souls,” “No Place For Me” that are more straightforward and with a common theme being that staying true to himself, warts and all, may get him some hate, but staying true to himself is exactly what’s taken him this far and will stay doing so. PIVE reiterates that not only should he be left to be him, but others should refocus and do a little more of that self-reflection themselves. While haters can be out here thinking the worst of this rapper, and while he may get down on himself sometimes like many people naturally do when overcoming hardship, PIVE will never stop pushing and that’s something you can bet on.
Pushing with his music is what has become PIVE’s sanctuary. He’s got his music, and that’s exactly where he’s going to turn to as he’s going through some of the hardest times of his life.
Let’s just take a second to acknowledge and give props to that amazing evolution and growth from addiction especially since he acknowledges in the album how people have expected him to relapse. PIVE is nothing if not self-aware, and he bares it all to hear on I Will Forever Be Act 3. The way PIVE is able to share his soul with the backup of some hard ass beats, intricate piano samples and Stranger Things-esque synth makes for an unforgettable combo.
Here’s the one thing I think we should all take from this: Genuine artistic expression can come from a dark place, and that’s okay. Not only is that okay, it’s a whole new kind of beautiful.
We could honestly go on and on about how deep this album is! But at this point, take a break from the screen, spark one up and take a listen for yourself. Let us know what you think!
