Telling Childhood Love Stories With Lightfoot and Moe Pope

Two of Boston’s finest enlist their friends and collective genius to create one of the best records of the year

10 min readNov 13, 2018

“All man descends from kings and queens” — Moe Pope

Moe Pope — the skilled, cerebral MC from Roxbury— and Lightfoot — the brilliant producer from Jamaica Plain — enlist their most prodigious teammates to create Childhood Love Stories — easily one of the best projects of the year and beyond.

With six tracks totaling forty-four minutes, Childhood Love Stories is simply perfect. Packed with details, nuance and intelligence, the EP is serious in execution and vision. With Lightfoot as the lone or co-producer for each of the six tracks and Pope the lead storyteller, CHLS is a pure Boston-area record with international appeal and global sound. The sonic landscapes created by Lightfoot (and Scott David FF for five of the six tracks) ascend genre and defy being pigeonholed; Pope tells tales with universal relativity and global commonalities. Joining Pope is an impressive guest list of vocalists and MC’s, including:

Meanwhile, Lightfoot enlists some world-class musicians to flesh out his brilliant production, including:

While the parts of CHLS are great as standalone creations, the totality of those parts creates an incredible experience for the listener. Perhaps more impressive is the brevity brandished in regards to the amount of artists involved; no note, chord or word feels out-of-place or unecessary. The perfection of the product is perhaps best summarized by Hugh Crain, the patriarch on Netflix’ wildly successful new series The Haunting of Hill House:

“(Dreams) can spill, just like a cup of water can spill sometimes. But kids dreams are special; they’re like oceans. And big dreams can spill out sometimes.”

The closing minutes of each CHLS track is reminiscent of the colorway segues in the 2002 film Punch-Drunk Love (itself one of the least-celebrated works of brilliance in at least the last two decades). Lightfoot allows his big dreams to spill past the confines of each track, navigating the listener across one seamless — flawless — forty-four minute auditory dreamscape.

The collaborative effort of CHLS compares to Dungeon Family’s progressive Even In Darkness (2001) or Goodbye Tomorrow’s mindblowing eponymous debut (2015); Lightfoot’s production — from technique to mastery of control — is next-level, built upon the strength of giants such as Blue Sky Black Death and Oddisee.

Several years in the making, fully expect CHLS to launch the careers of its chief architects into the next level of stardom; it should be impossible for Lightfoot or Pope to not become stars, while the rest of the contributors should absolutely ascend from the strength of CHLS, as well.

A subtle yet overt love-letter to Boston, Massachusetts, Childhood Love Stories is simply high-level musicianship, lyrics and collaborations resulting in one of the very best projects of the year and beyond — regardless of genre. Available on AR Classic Records, creations like Childhood Love Stories are timeless in their glow and undeniable in their transcendence. Nothing but much, much love from — and for — Childhood Love Stories.

01. Poison (f/ Scott David)

Production: Lightfoot x Scott David
Additional Production: The Arcitype

“I come from Roxbury / I’m a rabble-rouser / ‘new kid on the block’ / but I fuck with out-of-town’ers / ‘word to the mutha!’ / these lyrics are eye-gougers / head bouncers / soul flowers / sunshowers” — Moe Pope

“Poison” serves as a microcosm for the entire CHLS project as the ease in which the listener can vibe to the music is belied by the talent and nuance within each moment of every track. A borderline-tribute to Roxbury — birthplace of Pope and iconic trio Bell Biv Devoe — “Poison” is amongst the most playful of the project’s six cuts. Don’t be misled by the bravado; the remaining five tracks are simultaneously beautiful and important.

“We made CHLS with the intention of listening to it front-to-back and having the listening experience be seamless from beginning to end. The whole album is more or less child stories and folklore in the context of our current reality, thus the name Childhood Love Stories.” — Lightfoot

02. Wolf (f/ Scott David)

Production: Lightfoot x Scott David
Additional Drums: Jonathan Ulman

“Pesticides in the food / water is polluted / diluted our history / no respect / so I give similar energy and disconnect / and I will teach my child all that I possess / tell ’em that these animals seeing you as a threat” — Moe Pope

Amongst the most important tracks of the year due in part to Pope’s passion, urgency and anger, “Wolf” presents a myriad of topical issues present in all modern demographics: insecurity, inequality, despair and dreaming for more in the face of oppression, suppression and depression. Alongside another impeccable sonic landscape, Pope submits an easy Verse of the Year candidate with his second stanza. Phenomenal track blending rhythm with reality.

“I couldn’t be more proud to not only make music with this group but to call them my friends. They are truly some of the most talented and inspiring artists I’ve ever met and I am beyond grateful they gave me the opportunity to collaborate and add to the music. This album is a testament to how people from all walks of life can come together to create something brilliant.” — Jonathan Ulman

03. Sleeping Beauty (f/ Scott David x Latrell James x Tim Nihan x Rayel x Chris Klaxton)

Production: Lightfoot x Scott David
Additional Production: The Arcitype
Horns: Chris Klaxton
Additional Drums: Jonathan Ulman

“I been trying to find a way to put my mom and father in a better home / I found out the greatest company comes to me when I’m all alone / I found out the best stress relief is to disconnect your phone / two rights can’t make a wrong / three rights and circle around the block / and then back to the corner / pouring out Captain Morgan / in the back of the coroner / cold heart of a Northerner / stay away, man / I’m warning ya” — Latrell James

Seven-and-a-half minutes of introspection, emotion and clarity from three MC’s and two vocalists. As the first CHLS track to prominently feature other artists, “Sleeping Beauty” begins to reveal the greatness beyond the chemistry of Pope and Lightfoot. As Executive Producer of the entire CHLS project, Lightfoot displays a deft ability to meld and blend artists, genres and talents into singular greatness; “Sleeping Beauty” reveals the difficult but actuality of the project’s greatness expanding with time and contribution. The final two-and-a-half minutes ascend beyond the confines of the previous incarnation of the track: the vibe expands; the weight of the words breathe louder during respite.

“Moe is a staple in the Boston hip-hop scene; to be involved in a project with him is an honor. Lightfoot is equally as talented and aside from making great music, the both of them are even better people. I felt lucky to be able to give my contribution. I’m a fan first, and I know everyone will love the project as much as I do.” — Tim Nihan

04. Kings and Queens (f/ Scott David x Rayel x Chris Klaxton)

Production: Lightfoot x Scott David
Horns x Guitar: Chris Klaxton
Additional Drums: Jonathan Ulman

“Paint chipping off the page of a modern novelist / paying homage to the ghosts of superior beings / all man descends from kings and queens” — Moe Pope

While “Wolf” is one of the most important — and great — tracks of the year, “Kings and Queens” is simply one of the best. Pope is at his finest with a stream of consciousness opening verse dictating gratitude for — and confidence in — heritage. As the lone female MC on the entire EP, Rayel’s voice stands out partially because of tone but predominantly because of delivery; she approaches her portion like longstanding royalty. No need to overdeliver when the message is built on unbreakable self-belief.

Thematically and sonically, the track is the progressive kin of “Street Corners” — the Bronze Nazareth-produced highlight off 2005’s Think Differently: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture project — comparable to CHLS in collaborative scope and technical excellence. Pope’s verse is reminiscent of Dave’s impeccable track opener on De La Soul’s perfect “Trying People” track from 2001’s AOI: Bionix.

What completes the greatness of “Kings and Queens” is the sheer sublime instrumentation from Chris Klaxton. Graceful, poignant, understated yet voluminously impactful and emotive, Klaxton twinkles guitar-string subtleties and daydream horn notes reminiscent of Miles Davis’ “Blue in Green” or the recently-deceased Roy Hargrove’s “Poetry”. A beautiful, luminous, perfect track that will shine forever.

“To have such humble, talented, and creative beings like Moe Pope and Lightfoot come together and make a moment like this for Boston music is a gift for all of us to ingest. Musical Contributor or not, it’s a good day to be a part of the scene! I’m grateful to have thrown some colors of my own on the CHLS canvas.” — Rayel

05. Neverland (f/ Tea Leigh x Paranom x Chris Klaxton)

Production: Lightfoot
Keys: Chris Klaxton
Additional Drums: Jonathan Ulman

“The truth can seem distant if your path is a pathogen / lace an immortal soul with the lows of an average man / get high / thrown in the depths of the Devil’s talisman / corrupt breath patterned / chessboards under a palace’s destruction” — Paranom

Relative to the supremely-overlooked Slow Burning Lights collaboration between the legendary Blue Sky Black Death and vocalist Yes Alexander, “Neverland” is a perfect blend of ominous and auspicious. Lightfoot crafts each CHLS track as a standalone stand-out while remaining ingredients to the overall banquet. Paranom flexes verbal dexterity, crafting a verse full of sick syntax and lean lexicon while Tea Leigh uses the first of her consecutive appearances to glide her voice across the drums-strings-keys, harkening Alison Goldfrapp, Molly Kate Kestner and Christine And The Queens. “Neverland” is the sounds of a winter sunrise.

“CHLS takes you on a genre-bending, beautifully seamless journey. It’s a project I’m happy to have had a very small hand in and one I’m proud to release on AR Classic Records.” — The Arcitype

06. Black Dragon (f/ Scott David x Tea Leigh x Esh x Mike P x Chris Klaxton)

Production: Lightfoot x Scott David
Additional Production: The Arcitype
Horns: Chris Klaxton
Additional Drums: Jonathan Ulman

“Sitting on a powder keg / finger in a musket / pointing at the uniforms of those we never trusted / thrusting bayonets to a dead man’s trumpet / sharpened daggers when the blade got rusted” — Esh

Dynamic and uplifting percussion proliferates as Pope opens the closing track with energy and aplomb. Pope also mentions Johnny Gill, a slick reference to the member of New Edition — the group formed around the nucleus of the aforementioned Bell Biv Devoe. Esh delivers an absolute gem of a verse ahead of more simply gorgeous horns from Klaxton, while Mike P offers tremendous juxtaposition against Esh’s prose. There’s a reason Mike P is the very last voice on the EP — he delivers an absolute tornado of thoughts before the swirling keys and shimmering drums from Ulman close the section. The remaining four minutes belong to Lightfoot, who packs the final moments of CHLS with inspiration, hope and much, much love.