Upon reviewing R-Swift’s album, I was immediately captivated by the cover art, which is a parody of Dr. King’s mug shot following his arrest during the Montgomery bus boycotts. R-Swift set his goals high with the artwork alone on his 6th album Apply Pressure. In my psyche, the cover art gave me a set of expectations about Swift’s latest offering. The first expectation being that this album would go deep and challenge me not only spiritually, but also socially. The second expectation was that this lofty attempt at creativity would not translate into the music, but I was wrong.
R-Swift has always been one to be forthcoming and aggressive with his thoughts, and at times, those thoughts don’t mention Jesus or the Gospel. Therefore, the listeners expecting a massive flood of scripture and church jargon may be disappointed, but those who understand the topics addressed on Apply Pressureare not at all far off, but it is relative to saint and sinner alike. R-Swift opens up with the title track “Apply Pressure,” rapping behind the wall of proverbial prison for sharing his beliefs. Swift proudly exclaims that he’d willingly trade his freedom for truth rather than live in fear and ignorance.
R-Swift is at his best when he is addressing an issue of social disparity most notably on “Problem,” where he holds the mirror in front of rap and exposes its own ugliness. By spitting lines like “we join the minstrel show and act brainless/ all in the name of entertainment,” this song is sure to challenge any emcee to be more responsible with his or her music. Aside from addressing social issues, R-Swift has a knack for storytelling, which is a skill not many emcees possess. “Don’t Go” has Swift speaking from the perspective of an unborn child appealing to his mother not to abort him, which is kind of reminiscent of Nick Cannon’s “Can I Live,” but a million times better. “Love Story” threw me for a loop, because I expected the typical love song about a spouse, but a sharp left turn had me listening to a story about battling with infidelity, loneliness, and misinterpretations of love.
As mentioned before, Apply Pressure isn’t super heavy on the preaching, but there were moments like “April 19th “ where Swift, being brutally honest, pours out his heart about his doubts, fears, and failure, but insist on being still and waiting on God. This was a song I could personally relate to in content and I was extremely impressed by the vocals of Carmen Rogers, so I immediately adopted this jawn as my favorite song on the entire album. The album closes with a couple of crew joints, “Looking For Trouble,” featuring Sho Baraka and Eddie Nigma who both proved to be exceptional and “R.C.M.G” which allowed Swift to flex lyrically with no restraints alongside Fro W.U.N.D.A.S, Relz and Big Fil. Apply Pressure had very few weak points with the exception of “Dear Mr. President, Pt. 2” and “Raindrops.” While I understood the goal, I didn’t really care for them in conjunction to rest of the album. The production on this album is very suitable to Swift’s delivery and message. The alums concept had very few holes, while his intelligence, clarity, and passion makes him easy to listen to and enjoy. Apply Pressure is a must have for those who enjoy heart felt, aggressive, and stimulating content that appeals to the total
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