MC-producer Frank Leone has a penchant for minimal, sometimes-sleepy instrumentals and his composed, effortless flow can coax you into his moody soundscapes. Leone’s fleshed-out, flexible, and durable aesthetic is a great Trojan horse for the MC to neatly slip whatever ideas he likes into his music—the largely tranquil instrumental to February’s “Bump in the Night” belies Leone’s emotive lyrics about senseless street violence.
Leone’s been working away on a mixtape called Enter Wild, which is set to drop before winter. He’s got a handful of songs that didn’t make the cut, and he’s in the middle of posting a new one each day on Bandcamp; by the end of the week he’ll have an EP’s worth of tracks, and he’s calling this collection of B sides Bites, Bumps, and Scratches. Yesterday he dropped the playful, low-key “0-Ahaaaaa,” which, if it’s any indication of what wasn’t good enough for Enter Wild, gives me more hope that Leone’s forthcoming full-length will slay. Take a listen to “0-Ahaaaaa” below.
Leor Galil writes about hip-hop every Wednesday.