The Expressionist

For years rap has captured the style and essence of our culture. From it's Afrika Bambaataa break dance days to the 90's to now, this music has embodied our people.

It expresses us, rap music grows with us, changing as we change and formulating new ways for the culture to create. Because of this, rap doesn't have to abide by one sound. The beautiful thing about this genre is that you can sound like anything. The only thing that truly matters are your bars and creativity.

Right now I want to introduce you to an artist who is bringing the creativity and bars as well as an honest/somber and relaxed sound to rap. His name is Nick Bowens a 17-year-old rapper representing Baytown Tx.

He started rapping at the age of 10. "The same reason I wrote back then is the same reason I write now. I need an outlet from my everyday life and I need a way to express myself... I cope with the music."

Nick isn't influenced by the hype/flex/trap wave movement in his city and instead has a sound he describes as "vibe-hop". His sound is like Kid Cudi meets Raury. The beats are earnest and meditative and his lyrics touch on topics that are dear to him. His music is very reflective, as he covers topics like depression, self-love, happiness and growth.

You can hear this on his newest project Isolated Love

"I talk about these things because these are things that I think about all day. These are things that I experience and go through all day. I don't think about hoes, money, and new designers, nor do I have any of those. I just speak on what I know."

His sound is complex and is a true expression of him and his emotions. I like what Nick is doing because it is in stark contrast to the "fuck these hoes make money, I don't have love in my heart." message that has been hammered in rap music. "I feel like the whole world dismisses the idea of being emotionally open. I can't single it down to a specific group of people, but nowadays we're taught to be heartless and live without feelings. I can't do that and I wouldn't advise anyone else to, but I guess it's the wave."

Over the last couple of decades talking about how you feel or depression has become taboo. Artist like Nick ,who is apart of the new wave of young male artist who aren't afraid to express themselves, make these issues less taboo. Just like the fathers of rap who created this genre as an outlet, Bowens is doing the same thing and creating music that is much needed in this decade.