Fresh off from a killer collaboration with Rich Brian (“Arizona” from ‘Amen’), Up and coming R&B musician AUGUST 08 shows incredible potential on his own, thoughtful, debut single, “Funeral.”

AUGUST 08 first came onto my radar thanks to another up-and-coming artist, Rich Brian.  He appears on the superb closing cut of Brian’s album, Amen (“Arizona”).  His vocals are magnificent, piquing my desires to hear more.  He doesn’t disappoint on his single, “Funeral.”

“Funeral” commences mysteriously, beginning with random sound effects.  Soon enough, the record grows stable, and those anointed, nuanced vocals get to work. Once AUGUST 08 begins singing, the sheer beauty of his voice is awe-inspiring. His tone is definitely enviable.  He delivers a balanced performance, never over- nor under-singing. The simple, but thoughtful chorus is the centerpiece, finding AUGUST 08 singing easily, yet convincing.

“Don’t say it at my funeral / Say it to me now / Don’t say it at my funeral / Say it to me now.”

With things going so well, AUGUST 08 makes only a minor misstep, and it’s a subjective one. During an interlude (skit), the singer gets quite explicit, dropping numerous f-bombs.

“You know what I’m f*ckin’ tired of? / I’m tired of these motherf*ckers that never say shit to your motherf*cking face but say everything on the f*ckin’ side / You got something to say, say that shit to me in my motherf*ckin’ face / If not, you’re f*ckin’ dead to me / You’re f*ckin’ dead / Give me some f*ckin’ water.”

He makes his point, crying foul with distorted vocals, but were eight f-bombs really necessary? With such smooth vibes going and making a case for ‘who’s got next,’ one f-bomb, or better yet none, would’ve been sufficient.

Final Thoughts 

Excessive dirty words aside, AUGUST 08 proves he’s the real deal on “Funeral.” Relatively simple, “Funeral” is thoughtfully penned and even more magnificently performed.

AUGUST 08 • Red Bull / 88rising Music • Release: 2.8.18

Photo Credits: Red Bull / 88rising Music