The last couple of months, a bunch of our favorite rap tapes have arrived via North Carolina. Raleigh-based King Mez released his latest tape, Long Live the King to positive buzz; Charlotte-based Well$ dropped MTSYD: Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher; and Vice Records-signee Deniro Farrar put out his first major label release, Rebirth. Lynn Kieno, who also hails from Charlotte, just released his Chronicles of the Monarch Crystal mixtape that further expands the state's sonic limits. The brittle clank of “Unwanted (Extended)” and the trippy wobble of “Incouture” are a welcome change from the post-trap style that extends across many southern area codes. Kieno’s persona gets a bit lost in the vocal alterations, but judging by his mysterious aura, that might be by design.
Stream: Lynn Kieno, Chronicles of the Monarch Crystal