Legendary Seattle hip-hop figure Brainstorm releases his latest solo offering with Heartbreak Brain. The artist/producer has made more than a name for himself in both fields and this album is yet another creative level he’s risen to.
Heartbreak Brain is both an album and a vibe all its own. In a world where mixtapes have transformed into whatever tracklist best fits streaming playlists, many albums have lost their identity before they start. Brain successfully delivers a feeling. On this release, the artist relies on a more melodic feel than the traditional bar-for-bar rap approach. This is a sound that he’s been touching on the last few years and held influence over numerous records on his No Hard Feelings project that released last year. Heartbreak is the culmination of honing in on this sound.
Whether you know of Brainstorm or not, you’ve felt his influence. A member of the historic Dyme Def crew at producer and emcee and a legend in the beat battle realm. Brainstorm’s name has been put next to hard-hitting beats and bounce for years through his own production.
Although he’s always been versatile behind the boards, he’s also been able to spot talent in others. Self-producing “Heartbreak Brain Intro”, “I Don’t Like You”, “Single Life”, and lending assistance on others, the Seattle artist also grabbed up other production to complete the project. Fellow Blap Gang member Rob Reeves delivers a solid chunk of beats for the album.
Whether he produced the record or not, Brain was able to complete the sound needed on the 9 track project. Heartbreak Brain finds a more downtempo, mellow sound with sample-esque instruments weaving in and out of Brain’s melodies and tuned low-end bass lines.
The vibe is intrinsically felt from the album’s beginning to end in a way you can’t deny. And while this record may sound like a personal story through one’s inner emotions, Brainstorm mentioned that he tapped into a touch of personal experience but left the content general and open. This isn’t a look into a single man’s story, this is any man’s expression of emotions. Dark, melodic, open, and honest. But when it comes to Brainstorm, should we expect anything less than honest?
