Arizona native Chad Michael released his debut EP, Rain, this morning and it is a great “official” start to his music career. The emcee and singer, currently based in Los Angeles, wrote and recorded this diverse combination of six songs over the course of the past two years. He drew from the experiences and lessons he learned while in college and after moving to Southern California to pursue a career in music.

Having only recorded for less than four years, Chad uses Rain as an opportunity to continue to explore and refine his burgeoning mixture of sounds. Whether crooning softly to an old flame or attempting to navigate the difficulty of societal pressures, the young artist's intelligence, raw ability, and passion shine through the crisp, often bouncy production of Oregon producer Emotion Beats.

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Chad Michael starts off the EP with “Evolution” which is probably my favorite track on the project. He jumps right into it with a story and showcases his ability to rap. The track doesn’t follow your typical song structure (verse, hook, verse, hook) which is refreshing making it unique. More artists need to break out of the trends and old-school structure. “Different” comes next and Chad slows it down in the beginning but switches up the flow about 30 seconds in. He approaches this track with storytelling again saying he is sick of the “traditional” and wants to do something different. He uses multiple vocal layers in the chorus to make the song feel full. This track makes a smooth transition to “Weekend Love” which is about a girl. This is another slow jam that you could throw on when you have a girl over to get in the mood. He goes on to say that he is a product of the system and he doesn’t want to be apart of it’s negativity; dreaming of big houses, nice cars, and lots of money. He doesn’t want to be looked at like your normal rapper. He doesn’t want the materialistic and flashy lifestyle to define him. He wants to be different. Chad Michael finishes the song saying that weekend love with a girl is just what he needs.

“Nights Like This” starts the second half of the short EP with another slow jam. Chad talks about missing a girl who is only three hours away but feels like another universe. This is another track where he showcases his ability to sing and tell a story which is a common theme throughout the EP. The title track, “Rain”, comes next and it sounds similar to the previous track. Chad jumps right into with some real-life lyrics over a simple drum beat. It sounds like he has a lot to get off his chest and does it nicely on this song. This track is packed with rhyme after rhyme solidifying his ability to rap. Chad finishes the EP just like he started it, strong. If the EP was to have a “banger” this would be it. The bass bangs and he delivers the lyrics confidently. I’m really glad he finished the album with this track because he proves that he is more than just an R&B singer.

Overall, Chad Michael did a very good job putting together a full project. The EP sounds like one long track blended together which isn’t easy to do. His style is refreshing and it’s great to see an artist making music for the art, not for the money. His ability to blend rapping with singing isn’t something many artists can do. I think he is equally talented at rapping as he is at signing which shows a promising future. All in all, it’s a quality project for an artist’s debut EP.

4/5

Connect with Chad Michael
www.chadmichaelsound.com
Facebook.com/chadmichaelsound | Twitter.com/realchadmichael
Chad Michael on YouTube | Instagram.com/cmsound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jecRardnQOI