ANTHM is one of the bigger anomalies in hip hop. Unapologetically human, yet spiritual, ANTHM always makes music that connects with listeners. However, his approach can confuse many. His last EP, Joy & Pain, was clearly lyrically supple. Yet, it was sonically dance friendly. It threw so many off that they didn’t truly understand what his purpose was.

 

Then, I realized his goal all along: to make “music”. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Now, we have Handful of Dust. This EP matches him with the production of Blu (under GODleeBarnes). What we end up with is an EP that quickly makes those that missed the efforts of Joy & Pain become fans.

 

ANTHM will always make music with meaning. From the beginning with “Freefall” to the sing songy chorus of “Low Class”, there will always be jewels given to the listener. “Low Class notes the struggle of poverty and racial considerations while “Freefall” allows him to “play safe”. Even the lovely “Debbie”, dedicated to his little sister, stays infused with lessons learned. ANTHM can easily be considered a scribe of life.

 

What is just as enchanting is the production brought to the table by Blu. GODleeBarnes makes the most use of dusty samples, breaks, and smooth grooves. Take “Imagine Nation” for example. On the track, the samples he uses only make the lyrics even more mystic and meaningful. The same can be said for the lovely sounding “Nina” and even the album’s epilogue “Outro (Still Dreaming)”.  Concisely, Blu found the perfect lyrical compatriot for his jazzy production.

 

With Handful of Dust, ANTHM adds another uncompromising and lyrically astounding project to his catalog. Instead of going for the dance rhythms of Joy & Pain, he opts for GODleeBarnes sampled grooves. What comes about is a great EP with plenty of promise. Now all we need is a full project with a full theme to demonstrate ANTHM’s complete capabilities. Until then, Handful of Dust serves as a nice sampling of sampled goodness.

 

One Response