Spayyzee – Work for It

Spayyzee – Work for It 

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPUuj5DROVc 

“Work for it” is the second single from Spayyzee’s upcoming debut album and features the talents of hip hop artist DC Steez performing alongside Spayyzee. The latter leads the way vocally, but this Spayyzee’s identity is stamped on every second of this song. The Pennsylvania native doesn’t fall into any particular school of hip hop – instead, his lyrics and beats draw from the genre’s overall tradition while still bristling with signature style that will stay unmistakable after you hear it for the first time. Michael Plotkin, aka Spayyzee, is scarcely twenty years old, but there’s a self assurance in his performance that goes far beyond his years. It is an excellent follow up to the first single “Distance Myself” and conclusively proves that Spayyzee is a talent with the staying power to endure, grow, and make a lasting impact on the scene. “Work for It” has a clear message, strong musical arrangement, and dramatic construction that brings it all home with force and conviction.  

It’s a track that never has to shout. Instead, both Spayyzee and his co-rapper DC Steez deliver the lyric with easy confidence that’s a hallmark of the genre’s best tracks and artists. It’s a measure of the lack of ego Spayyzee brings to his performances that he cedes the initial spotlight to Steez – he begins the lyrics and sets a tone before Spayyzee enters and turns the song in a distinctly different direction. The variance in their respective approaches couldn’t be starker. Steez’s smooth intonation and the easy, unassuming way he glides through the verses differs from the rugged posture that Spayyzee’s performance takes on his half of the song. He has a compelling way of building tension through his vocal alone – Spayyzee begins with a relaxed delivery and gradually builds up a head of steam that pulls listeners into its web. Both performers have exemplary lyrics to work with and the chorus sums up the song’s message with the same hard-edged clarity defining the verses. It never goes in for too much wordage, but it does have outstanding clarity that makes the theme and subject matter quite clear.  

The chorus is likely the musical highlight of the piece. It doesn’t come even remotely close to pop music, but the chorus does have an understated hook that will burn into listener’s memories. The percussion has a live snap and there’s a thin layer of keyboards providing color throughout the entirety of the track. The song’s excellent construction is underlined by its length and running just a few seconds over four minutes might seem excessive to some hip hop fans, but it gives the performers room to stretch out without ever overstaying its welcome. “Work for It” has a message to bring, but it never does so in heavy-handed way and sets up Spayyzee’s debut album as one of the genre’s potentially most important releases in recent memory.  

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Spayyzee/dp/B01LTIBUFU 

Joshua Stryde