Making the jump from an On The Radar debut to a full release, Chasey The Illest’s latest ‘Tweakin’ is the next step towards debut EP Cirrus Clouds. If this dark, emotive, personal, authentic, and exceptional track is anything to go by, the project may be the turning point that takes the Detroit poet from a fledgling rap career to soaring heights. Guard dropped, it’s hard not to be pulled into his reflective spiral of anxiety, drug use and creative clarity.
The building blocks take short, spiky samples, mix them with mellow beats and woozy ambient textures. The tightness of these instrumentals enhances the flow that Chasey brings; intensity, immediacy, and an untethered emotional bassline are all behind his words. This sharp introspection can only come from a place of understanding and experience, each word adding to the weight as he restrains himself from overwhelm.
“Tweakin’ is a song that details my own anxieties and experiences throughout life through various drug references, smooth beat switches, and stands as an ode to the first time I got high and tweaked out,” Chasey explains. He goes on to add, “It is the outro to my soon-to-be-released EP “Cirrus Clouds”. I first performed “Tweakin” on ‘On The Radar Radio’ and it was the first time anyone had ever heard it. The reception was great. Myself and my homie/producer of the record, DJ Icee, decided going on OTR was the perfect time to showcase the song to the world, knowing On The Radar has such a huge platform.”
Taking this track as an indication of what’s to come from Cirrus Clouds, it’s clear Chasey is in form, balancing technical finesse with a precise command of his mental state. A decade post-debut, he’s overdue for receiving his flowers, but the stars are aligning for this to be the moment.
Experience ‘Tweakin’ here…
