Stream: Wes Period, ‘Everything Is Trees’

Andrew Veeder on January 13th, 2017

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While continuing to diversify his multi-hyphenate status, Los Angeles-based Wes Period this week finally dropped his full-length debut album, “Late Bloomer.” He describes the 12-track effort as “a lot more than a group of songs to me. Late Bloomer represents taking control of my own destiny. It’s a coming of age, falling in and out of love, realizing goals and making new ones, coming undone and tying it all back up. [The album] is optimism for not only my future but for all of us. I tried to bring the positivity and feel good-ness that we’re desperately missing in hip-hop and our communities.”

It’s a jubilant record and his strongest work yet. “Mothers and Fathers” is a touching slice of life; “Erykah” is a love song disguised as a banger; but the triumphant opener “Bloom” sets the tone with Period rapping, “Lord knows I’m trying, Lord knows I’m trying / She knows I ain’t perfect, but goddamnit I’m worth it.” He also jumps all over the recent single “Everything Is Trees,” riding the ebb and flow of a down-tempo beat with a jazzy finish produced by frequent collaborator Supercookies and featuring cohort Cliftun on the hook. Sam Fischer joins him on “If You Want Me,” singing a killer hook over a shaken, skittering echo chamber beat bolstered with a staccato guitar melody and synth swells produced by Alex and Alex. Check them both out below.

In addition to his rapping prowess, Period has upped his beatmaking prowess as well, with two full-length projects that he produced coming in the next few months. He has also crafted tracks for over 10 artists in the mix of his newly-formed label Squad Thiq, and aim to release new music every Thursday. Period also has his hand in a new Nickelodeon show coming later this year where he’ll be in front of the camera while also serving as a co-writer and music director. Two weeks into the year, we’ll see what else the actor-label head-music director-producer-rapper-writer can tackle in 2017.

||| Stream: “Everything Is Trees” and “If You Want Me”