Almost a year ago to the day, Grynch dropped his Rapping About Rapping Mixtape–and as great as the 20-track project was (“Biological Didn’t Bother 2010” still gets plays through these headphones), and as much as his strength lies in his distinct style unswayed by fad sounds, “The King of Ballard” set out to dissuade people from “thinking I could only rap about rapping and my Volvo.” The seven-track
Timeless EP is available for free download via DJbooth.net, and while it’s capped with the D-Sane remix of his Wizdom collaboration “Got Ya Numb” and Sabzi’s bouncy remix of “My Volvo,” the main attraction is the five fresh tracks.Grynch touches on his self-proving theme almost instantly with lead track “So Long,” singing his own hook with a deftly delivered “Watch me as I take off / So long!” over the most triumphant of the five beats contributed by up-and-coming local producer Jester. Much of the EP’s strength comes from the matching styles of producer and MC–just as Grynch’s strength lies in his distinct flow unswayed by fad sounds, Jester’s beats trade flash for solid builds and longevity.Timeless covers the non-rapping rap bases nicely–and in short order on an EP stretching less than half an hour–with tales of the good life (“All I Wanna Do”), females (“Out of Sight, on My Mind”) and a not-so-secret affinity for wrestling embodied in “Randy the Ram” that juxtaposes his struggles with those of Mickey Rourke’s character in The Wrestler. But the song is bigger than WWE. Where the movie follows an aging wrestler who stays in the game in an attempt to cling to fame, Grynch asks if you really think he’s past his prime–almost asking himself. Watching an all-ages crowd from the bar in Fremont’s Nectar Lounge last week, he and I had a similar discussion–me having no idea about the song or its contents–the conclusion being that the rap game ages you quickly. Grynch is still a young guy, and though he’s already seen his share of successes, staying on top isn’t easy either. This EP, though, is at the very least a sign of high times to come.Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
