I am consistently impressed and somewhat enamored by the overtly seemingly immediate and approachable way popular musicians have found a stake in urban pop. This is the path of the producer. Before we discuss the stratospheric soar of Boy Rekless, we touch on another somewhat similar artist- Kanye West. We are not trying to place Boy Rekless in a huge shadow, but Kanye West arises from a background in production. His slick highly stylized beats made a quick name for himself in the scene. With a long list of quality independent production, a few years of work, and a meeting with Jay-Z, and he had a debut album and a label contract. All that for an inspiring producer.
Other artists have had similar fates and have witnessed some joyous success. Hit-Boy, Boi-1da and Just Blaze followed the path from producer to MC- all in what seems like record time. They may not be dominating the world, but what better way to get respect in the urban pop landscape?
So now we return to Boy Rekless. He began his life involved deeply in music; his roots come from playing the church organ and the upright piano. But his more classically-oriented background was not what was to make him a powerhouse in later years. Boy Rekless, aside from being a great producer, has an excellent knack for the marketing- what appeals to people? What am I good at in the big scheme of things? Pop music grabbed hold- and it did not let go.
So here we are in 2013 and Boy Rekless dropped his debut EP Rekless Vol. 1. For one, it seems to hint at a Vol. 2 (we can only hope). For another, it seems penned right from the stylistic mix of 80’s pop, Drake inspired hipster aesthetics, and urban Bruno mars-related soft pop. Boy Rekless seems to juggle a multitude of sub-genres into what could possibly be the perfect storm of pop awesomeness.
In the way that ‘The Weeknd’ revolutionized the indie urban pop world, and Drake brought it right front and center (arguably), Boy Rekless seems to fit right into the mix of producers gone pro in the big leagues. His work with a long list of artists only cements his stature. For those keeping tabs, we got Hot Chelle Rae, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, LMFAO, B2K, Marcus Houston, Juvenile, Far East Movement, Cobra Starship, George Clinton, Canibus, Neon Hitch, Killah Priest, Billy Gibbons, and Demi Lovato. Anyone with even a surface understanding of music can see the variety contained in these names. Everything from mainstream massive pop to stellar under the radar indie acts, from country darlings to classic rock masters, Boy Rekless seems to have met and worked with the lot of them. Not bad for a young kid with some dreams and talent.
http://boyrekless.com/
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https://www.youtube.com/BoyReklessTV
