Sibling rap duo 832 share a unique animosity towards their hometown of Oklahoma City. Though they represent the city proudly and have even named their group after the area code they grew up in, they say that the city has “burned to ashes” at this point. Though they may not be on board with the current state of the city, their new track “Burn” engages the listener with a story about the world they come from and how that world continues to change.
The song starts out with an ambient gothic cello line and eerie clinking keyboard notes before the bouncing beat enters. With adequate hand-clapping and a backing wall of sound made up of a silent choir, a talented singer chimes in and introduce the song’s theme: “I’m on fire.” In addition, a synthesized vocoder lead joins the mix. The vocoder flavor could only be described as “Kanye-esque.”
Within the first two lines of the actual rap verses, you get the gist of 832’s quintessential style: playful and clever but not afraid to take dark turns, as if speeding on the freeway and jerking the wheel from side to side for a split second just to scare people. 832 doesn’t make themselves out to be hard gangsters or dangerous people. Rather, they’re self-referenced as “troublemakers”, “cancers”, and people who evoke “temper tantrums.”
Eventually, the song takes a strange twist as 832 raps a conversation with the devil, who is impersonated with a low-pitched voice. In this conversation, the devil offers a life of problem-free fame in exchange for 832’s soul. It doesn’t end up being a good enough sale, as 832 quickly quips back that they’re looking to do things their own way, even if the devil claims their style to be “a pipe dream.” The song’s end serves as a resolution point as a loud audience roars and 832 addresses them, claiming, “We will win this battle for the world.”
832 has a distinct style to them. They produce their music well and they have some nice flow. My favorite part 832 is how they don’t take themselves too seriously and embrace wittiness. I hope to see more of this quality in 832’s future.
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Biography:
The brother duo of Nawlege 405 and Solomis are 1980s babies who found a bond as younger siblings through hip-hop. Their group title of 832 bears a significant meaning as they proudly wear the number of the Oklahoma City home that they grew up in before it was burned to ashes. Their latest album Love And Fear features rhymes and beats as stark as vacant tenement buildings, both rappers refusing to hold their tongues regarding inner turmoil as well as the external chaos that floods the world around them. Within the album’s opening song, they refer to themselves as “political rhyme peddlers.” While it may not be immediately apparent as to why, just keep listening.
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