Most Portland rap fans have been waiting for Epp‘s solo album. Guess what? It’s finally here.
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Produced by Green Team – the potent combination of G-Force and Lawz Spoken – Chrome Plated Chronicles boasts very clean production on which Epp delivers his expected vocal judo. As far as tracks, P.O.L.O., Watch This, Darts, & Walk In The Night all go super hard to me. Gun Break and the intro, Heart of Gold, have dope vibes to me, and the other four tracks are cool too.
Often known as the Black guy in TxE, it’s refreshing to see Epp not only headline a solo project but really take advantage of the chance to define himself as an individual artist. There are no features on the album, yet Epp’s dynamic personality and dexterous flow shine bright and I never felt bored with the record at all. Quite the unexpectedly ironic feat from an artist with a knack for making track shattering guest appearances on his friends’ tracks. (His cameos on Illmaculate’s Green Tape and Mikey Vegas’ Oregoonz come to mind.) Epp even sings his own hooks, forcing me to wonder if this was perhaps an intentional attempt to let folks hear his voice and his voice only.
Whatever the reason for it, Epp’s strategy wins. The result is a solid piece of work that lets listeners get an intimate and complex understanding of his personality, all while giving us something sweet to vibe to.