5 to the Eye with Stars by R.A.P. Ferreira | Album Review
R.A.P Ferriera’s 4th release dives us deeper into the mind and philosophy of the artist.
I have been familiar with Chicago native R.A.P. Ferriera, real name Rory Allen Phillip Ferriera, from his earlier incarnation under the moniker Milo. After finding out about the artist recently moving to Nashville, TN, and establishing another home for his record store/label Soulfolks Beat, I wanted to check out his most recent release.
The 2022 release of his 4th album under his current name continues the deeper lyrical content we have come to know while blending in a mix of chill hip-hop, coffee-house chillhop, and satiny jazz. All this comes together wonderfully throughout this project.
The album opens with the jazz-coated sounds of “fighting back.” I like how the saxophone, keys, and bass underlines Rory’s flow. Ferreira pulls focus towards the technicality and importance of rap music that many push aside, “I guess I’m fighting back/ I know it looks like I’m simply writing raps/ But, this here is kinda technical/ Let’s discuss intervals and who is original.” This introduction to the love and respect of the genre moves perfectly into the sentiment on the following track.
“ours” has a much brighter vibe. The sampled bells, smooth beat, and piano put the whole song in greyscale. Ferriera’s hook, “As we took to the sky and the skies became ours/ As we took to the stars and the stars became ours/ As we took to the sky and the skies became ours,” is a good earworm to pair with the bright yet simplistic treatment of the backing soundscape. You can hear his ambition as he fights to break the glass ceiling above his head, “This chapter of my life is called almost/ Thief of always in a tall coat/ Punch on me like Captain Falco/ I ain’t spit, I blew out cinders.” Rory’s rhymes are deep yet playful and keep you on your toes from start to finish. It’s a highlight on the record for me.
“consolation (inspired by Butter Sunday, a poem by Gabrielle Octavia Rucker)” brings in the effervescent warmth of chillhop to provide the backdrop to Ferreira’s rhymes. I absolutely love how all of these elements come together. I really like the flow he keeps throughout this track. From the smooth, sinuous speed of the verses to the colder, thought-provoking pauses in the chorus, he allows each line to cook for the perfect amount of time. Several of Rory’s verses call back to Rucker’s Poem, “Well fed, my consolation… Intuit, breathe, what you feel is what you believe…Mingus with the madness, oolong in the Hydro Flask churning.” All of this plays to Ferreira’s struggles to get to the place he is now.
We bring back the soulful jazz sound on “sittlichkeit.” The effect on the beat, synths, and keys gives so much dimension to the track’s sound. This swirls around Rory’s cool flow. Here, Ferreira shimmers over the ever-boiling injustices that continue to be passed and pressed up on minorities, “Sputter with rage, abreast the new laws/ Governing decay as my teeth fall/ It didn’t make sense like collecting used band-aids/ I don’t like people, all my problems are man-made.” I have always been a fan of the mixture of jazz and hip-hop, especially with more cerebral verses. I think Rory does a great job putting his thoughts into music. I dig the Erykah Badu vibe that I get from this track.
The lead single off this release is “mythsysizer instinct.” Again, we continue with that toasty jazz-steeped chill-hop that underlines Ferreira’s words. I really love the lazy flute that flutters around the cool sample behind it. The chorus calls attention to the harrowing experiences that still haunt Rory to this day, “My sadness a hound dog and he creep beside me/ And he creep beside me (He creep beside me).” Fellow rapper/singer Hemlock Ernst’s refrain gives more depth to the traumas that still leave marks in Ferreira‘s psyche. I can see why this track was chosen as the lead single. Its simple yet full-bodied sound works so well alongside R.A.P Ferreira’s words.
“ark doors” is a bit more simple. The piano sample flutters around the main pivot point of the song, its driving beat. Rory calls out to his newfound home in Nashville, Tennessee, “The mind unravels, the sun time travels/ Totems and omens, barking directions to Bolton’s/ Holding my scrotum in Cashville/ If your head hurt, take an Advil.” He continues his politically charged lyrics, calling out economic inequalities and various injustices. I do wish his verses were a bit more focused. I think the shortness of the track keeps us from diving deeper into this subject matter.
The shortest track on the album is the classic hip-hop/soul throwback track “lampião’s flow.” Rory’s words ring through clearly as he waxes on his own mental growth, “First fear was vanquished/ First fortress was made of blankets/ And somehow most protective as I got older/ I became most selective/ With building materials, breakfast cereals/ More discerning at sunrise and set, also dusk/ I no longer collect the husks of former selvеs/ Warm as hell and this is supposedly Earth, huh?” While the song may be short, Ferriera’s concise flow packs the right punch to sell his thoughts. I appreciate this more nuanced look at shedding the baggage of your past.
We return to the chillhop vibe on “tennessee farmer jutsu.” The production takes on an almost aquatic sound through its slow, crunchy movement. Ferriera focuses his words on the apathy we have taken towards the daily disasters making the news, “From a land of famine and chaos/ Where after disaster strikes we beg to State Farm/ The ever-living, hair-splitting/ I assure you it’s more captivating in person/ The more I become a person, the more the pain worsen.” Here, he uses his escape as an artist to release these frustrations and pains into something productive.
We end this record with the hauntingly glistening sounds of “boot knife.” Again, we keep this dark aquatic sound that began on the prior track. This track only takes this deeper, giving it a dark indigo glow. Lyrically, the track feels a little dense to me. Rory points towards the listener's need to dig deeper into his words to get the grander meaning of things, “Leaving out the important section, it’s been my secret weapon/ Now it’s a boot knife, Ruby Yacht ride the loop tight/ Quest for the right note, this is the poetry my life wrote.” This is one of the songs on the album I feel you need to mull over a bit more to get a full definition of it.
I really enjoyed listening to this release from R.A.P Ferriera. Sonically, his choices of mellow, smooth chillhop and jazz samples alongside laid-back beats don’t distract from the themes he explores throughout the album. Its cool demeanor and thought-provoking vibe have me wanting to pair it with a warm cup of coffee and vibe out each track in more depth. It’s a strong collection of tracks. I do wish a few were a bit longer and more fleshed out (i.e. “ark doors” and “boot knife”). Overall, I, like many, will enjoy Ferriera’s intellectually stimulating words and soothing sounds.
My breakdown of 5 to the Eye with Stars:
Loved it: “ours,” “consolation (inspired by Butter Sunday, a poem by Gabrielle Octavia Rucker),” “sittlichkeit,” “mythsysizer instinct” (feat. Hemlock Ernst) & “lampião’s flow”
Liked it: “fighting back,” “ark doors” &“tennessee farmer jutsu”
Disliked it: “boot knife”
My overall rating: 7.0 out of 10.
