I consider myself a bit of modern age rap connoisseur. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised when I got the opportunity to review up and coming rapper, Maez301’s new EP. This project, titled “A,” is the second four-track installment of a four-part series which spells his name, M, A, E, and Z. Let’s jump right into it.

Assisted by Nef The Pharoah, Maez301 starts this project with a trappy club banger, reminiscent of something off of Tyga’s 2011 mixtape, #BitchImTheShit. Confidently fueled with braggadocio rap, Maez301 delivers swaggy flows over this track and proves that emceeing is much more than dropping ultra-technical lyrics over a standard 808 hip hop beat.

Up next is his first solo track of the EP, “Emoji,” a more soulful and rhythmic tune which feels like an ode to the current trends of hip hop. Blending an incredibly catchy hook and well-crafted melodic verses, Maez301 takes the listener on a slower drug induced journey into his feelings. In this endeavor he questions the longevity of his vices, women and drugs, and remembers how far he’s come in the music game. It’s hard to ignore the Lil Uzi Vert influences on this track as he poses the question, “drugs were supposed to take away the pain, but pain remains, and who’s the one to blame…?” Following up “Fuck No” with “Emoji” seems like it would be a rather confusing and risky transition, but Maez301 proves he can do it all, pumping up the listener’s ego only to break it down a few minutes later.

Up third is “Grab A Bag”, where Maez301 dips back into his grittier style hip hop where he leans harder on the use of adlibs and a monotonous repetitive flow. While it’s a lowlight to the EP for me, it’s a jam that purists would appreciate. In context of the full EP, this was definitely carefully placed to showcase the full spectrum of the artist’s talent.

Lastly, Maez301 rounds out his EP with a soulful and blatantly autotuned R&B influenced jam, “Switch.” I’m not the biggest fan of autotune but it is understood that there’s a time and place in hip hop for it, and this is one of them. In efforts to join the ranks of Drake, Chris Brown, Future, and XXXTentacion (just to name a few), Maez301 proves he’s not just a trap rapper, but can also make melody driven soulful music which can evoke a variety of emotion and challenges the listener to widen their pallet.

Clocking in at only 4 songs, this EP does exactly what Maez301 intended. It showcases his talent to dip into a variety of styles of hip hop, while leaving you with a deep sense of anticipation for the remaining 2 EP’s set to drop in the future. I’ll definitely keeps my ears tuned to the streets eagerly awaiting “E” and “Z”, and I’m sure you will too once you give this a listen. 

Click HERE to give it a spin!

As always, rock on my friends!     Hunnypot Approved!     Overall Rating:  9.1 out of 10

Artist:  Maze301  EP: A,   Release Date: June 21st, 2019,  Label:  Strange Music, Inc.