Taking his dancy style of rap, GoldLink transforms it in his most recent work And After That, We Didn’t Talk. The emotional impact of a former relationship shows the progression of the breakup throughout the album. Intertwining reflective moments of that in the opening track, “After You Left,” as well as hopeful moments in tracks like “Zipporah,” Link artfully takes you through his experience.
There is a roundness to Link’s vowels that contribute to his unique style of rapping that separates him from other artists. He has also developed a distinctive and almost raspy tone of voice, both rapping and singing over bluesy chords, that hits at just the right moments creating a lively and vivid tone throughout. The choral arrangement adds to his R&B influence along with the trumpets that make an appearance in “Dark Skin Woman.”
The narrative throughout And After That, We Didn’t Talk is conducive to repeat listening, catching something different with each listen. GoldLink skillfully takes you through hybrid hip-hop beats and slowed R&B ventures that all work in unison in this dynamic collection of tracks.
Recommended If You Like: Chance The Rapper, Vince Staples, Isaiah Rashad
Recommended Tracks: 3 (Dark Skin Women), 4 (Spectrum), 6 (Late Night)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Caitlyn Porter on 12/22/15