Chayse Maclair - Always On The Outside

Hear The Track Here

I mentioned Soundclick beat factory Anno Domini in my last review of Klive Kraven and they have also played a part in Chayse Maclair's musical life, supplying the music to the first track I have heard from him - It's Getting Darker (May 2011). Going with such strong musical backing means that you need to have your shit together for the rap to come out right, as millions of wannabes have found out to their discomfort. Looks easy, actually hard as hell to pull off convincingly. One of the enduring problems for many home-based rappers is a) getting the right backing track and b) getting it to work seamlessly with the rap they have devised for it. And don't even get me started on the technical problems associated with the task.

It has to be said that there is a noticeable - and distinctive - sound to some of the better Soundclick rappers. In the past I have used the term indie hip hop because the beats are bought in and not generated, and the rap itself is usually of a lesser sound quality than you may be used to. That doesn't stop it working of course, and it doesn't stop it being the most popular genre on Soundclick, along with some of the rappers who make music this way. Always On The Outside brings in Flawless Tracks for the musical honours this time, and the choice is every bit as effective as Anno Domini was for the first track.

Again, while he might not set the world on fire, Chayse delivers a pretty decent rap although I wouldn't let the intro sway you to think different; it takes a while for the track to get started. When it does, the weaving together of the music and rap are highlighted with some very neat little twists and turns. Certainly listening to the track a few times adds to its effect on you although - obviously - you'll probably have to like hip hop as a main food group to really appreciate this. It would also be a good idea to hear Crack On Crack (the original music track) into the bargain to see how well Chayse worked it all in. Nice job all round.

Highly Recommended indie hip hop.