Among the many lessons we’ve learned from classic rock history, something that stands out against to current trends is the polarity of solo offshoots. Ozzy’s exit created flak within Black Sabbath’s massive fandom, David Lee Roth’s departure from Van Halen led to the havoc of Van Hagar, and Sting’s egress from The Police still hurts for some. But aside from the occasional social media beef, most hip-hop heads will turn their heads with eager ears to hear a contributor to a beloved collective break out on their own – even if it’s just to assess their intrinsic talent.
On top of that, Austin’s rap scene plays less of a cutthroat competition and more of a supportive cohort. So imagine the excitement that was spurred at the start of 2019 – two years after Austin outfit Mindz of a Different Kind shared their last LP BORDERLINEZ – when MDK heavy-hitter BLakchyl dropped her debut EP On Paper. BLakchyl followed it up that same fall with the Tåsi collaboration East 10th before graduating up to her feature-laden full-length H02d in the pandemic’s early days. Last October BLakchyl introduced us to yet another collabo – this one with Nez Tha Villain – entitled G.E.N.I.U.S.. Throughout it all, MDK’s been close by and more than willing to hop in-studio with BLakchyl, no matter that it’s technically outside the ensemble’s umbrella.
Today, as she continues to navigate the intersectionality of Queer Black womanhood in Central Texas, BLakchyl boldly steps into the world of singing with her sophomore solo EP Call me sometimes. This ambitious album precedes a live appearance 5PM next Wednesday at Waterloo Records for THE DROP and what we hope is the next big springboard in BLakchyl’s still-burgeoning career. The brief, R&B-beveled brilliance of “White Tee Shirt”, whose fabric seamlessly stretches between autotuned hooks and breathy verses, at least earns BLakchyl some extra respectable stripes in this promising solo ascent.
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