Up-and-coming rock-infused hip-hop artist Paris shows potential and room for growth on his 19-minute debut EP, ‘ONE NIGHT IN PARIS.’

There are a number of rising hip-hop artists in 2018 – understatement.  Keeping up with all of the newbies is difficult, particularly if they are truly at the beginning stages of their come-up.  One up-and-comer that just happened to come onto my radar was Paris.  Even upon penning this review, there’s not that much info You can get to know more about this melodic rock-oriented rapper and singer in the video featured below.  So, with that said, how about letting the music on his debut project, ONE NIGHT IN PARIS, speak for itself.

“Angel”

It should first be noted, that nothing on ONE NIGHT IN PARIS is particularly lengthy.  Opener “Angel” finds Paris keeping things ‘short and sweet.’  He kicks things off with an aggressive, biting chorus:

“You my angel in that Saint Laurent
My Gucci shirt, come and take it off
You too damn good, never last that long
You my angel in that Saint Laurent.”

“Angel” features ‘harsh’ production work with a hard beat, embodying the rock-oriented rap sound. He essentially pop- (or rock-) raps the verse, incorporating ‘dangerous sex’ as part of the script:

“Scratch marks, nails black, show me you can take that

Bite me, might bury me inside a Maybach

Oh, every time we fuck, it’s for payback…”

“Nothing,” like “Angel,” begins the song with the chorus, which ends up being the script for the entirety of the project.  In this particular instance, however, the chorus occurs abruptly, without instrumental introduction. Paris makes it clear he embraces a rock-oriented hip-hop sound – he certainly looks like a rock star if nothing else. The sole verse is more melodic than the opener. He manages to sneak in an f-bomb on the final line of the verse: “I threw all your letters in the fuckin’ trash.”

“GONE”

“GONE, featuring Trippie Redd, is arguably the first ‘homerun’ for Paris.  A lush instrumental introduction sets up the record nicely.  The Longest song on the eight-track, 19-minute-long EP, “GONE” is the best developed.  The crowning achievement is none other than the souped-up chorus, performed once more by Paris.  It’s the best chorus up to this point.  He takes a melodic approach on the first verse, references lean as well as “bodies all around him” at one point. Trippie Redd appears on the second verse, contrasting his more rock-oriented, biting vocals, while still embracing melody.

Following the EP’s juggernaut is a tall task. “Outside,” unfortunatelydoesn’t eclipse “GONE.” “Over” is stronger, thanks to the darkness of the production, particularly the guitar.  Paris keeps the form relatively simple, opening with pre-chorus followed by chorus; brief verse followed by an even briefer bridge. The bridge stands outs, given how dynamically and expressively he sings it (“Break away from us / Swear I gave too much”).

“Crushin” (featuringTravis Barker) follows with a dark, moody vibe conveyed by the intro.  The form is predictable, with a lengthier chorus. Even so, there are a couple of memorable lines, namely “Crushin’ up weed like I’m crushin’ on you.” The verse is comprised of pure singing, though lyrically, he doesn’t say much.  The extended instrumental is a selling point.

“Shinin” 

“Shinin” opens mysteriously. Prior to the chorus, there’s no drums. Naturally, the drums arrive on the chorus, anchoring things down.  Predictability aside, the chorus is among the catchier ones of the album:

“Stab me in the back, all you do is front
I stack up my cash, all I do is stunt
All I, all I, all I, all I do is stunt
Walked up in this bitch, I do what I want.”

On his verse, Paris is mostly concerned about money and sex. Notably, he asserts, “I turned a bad bitch into my new bae.” He closes out with the punk-oriented hip-hop of “Night.”

Final Thoughts

So, how does ONE NIGHT IN PARIS stack up?  Ultimately, there’s potential, but there’s also clichés.  This rock-oriented hip-hop persona is a good look for Paris, but in the past, it’s been tough to successfully execute.  Listening to ONE NIGHT IN PARIS, it’s an effort that entirely too short, and perhaps too ill-developed to be ‘wowed’ per se.  That said, it’s a decent idea – a snapshot of what’s to potentially come from this artist. There’s definitely something here, but like so many up-and-coming rappers, there’s the need to hear more, particularly more developed, full-length material.

Gems: “GONE” & “Over”

Paris • ONE NIGHT IN PARIS • 300 Entertainment • Release: 4.25.18

Photo Credit: 300 Entertainment