One of the easiest ways to find new music, particularly independent music, seems to be scrolling through Instagram at 3:00 am. I’m tired, impressionable, and looking to soothe that millennial anxiety. I get loads of music suggestions from the playlists that I curate, from music-loving friends and connections in my DMs. However, I find a certain level of satisfaction when I hunt down a well-mixed melodic rap with solid bars all on my own. While I didn’t find Pap Star through a late-night scroll, I did connect with him through the gram and have loved every post and reel since – for real. Read more about Pap Star, his unique sound, and why you should listen to his work.
About Pap Star
Meet Pap Star. He is a recording artist and producer out of Mobile, Alabama. I came across his profile on Instagram, initially drawn in by his social media before his music. We have several musically inclined connections in common, so of course, his content was suggested to me. Well done, algorithm. Pap Star cleverly shares music in interesting and eye-catching ways. In one quick scroll through his IG profile, you will be entertained, educated, and inspired – all while hearing his music over and over again. The benefit of hearing his music clips over and over again? They get stuck in your head, and you want to listen to the rest.
Pap Star Before the Music
After a few exchanges, I have come to like Pap Star, not just as an artist, but as a person who is sharing positive energy. He is doing all of this while making great music. He tells me that he started his music career earlier than most as a third-grade poet with publishing credits in the Mobile Press-Register. It is no surprise that Pap Star chose to pursue a music career, given his musical roots with a father in the industry (who taught him to play the guitar) and his heavy early influences in the church. Early wins and experiences started him in the right direction, and creatively he took off.
Pap Star’s Signature Sound
Pap Star has his sound, and baby, it is spicy. He is no longer an elementary school poet, that’s for sure. The grown-up version of Pap Star is a creative songwriter who has learned to produce a signature sound formed after transitioning to secular music. Melodic rap, a unique voice and intonation, influences in rock and soul, combined with uptempo beats, build the recipe for the Pap Star audio signature. As a songwriter and lyricist, his work touches on sexuality, romance, happiness, mental health, and other threads of the human experience.
This artist’s knowledge of music production has led him to create music for film and television and collaborate with other artists. Incredibly, through his early success in sync, he is building a platform to educate other artists in the sync realm, sending the ladder for his peers. His production style is a mix of deep bass, trap sounds, smooth, soothing melodies, and tracks layered to feel relaxed even when they are doing the most. Now, he produces for himself, and others, and as part of his business method.
The Ruling
So, what do I think? To date, my favorite track from Pap Star is Half Past Demon Time. It’s blunt and sexually charged, but not so aggressive that it’s off-putting. There’s a rhythm you can dance to, and the vocals are reminiscent of T-Pain. His latest single, Frozen Heartz Pinedes, is worth mentioning. Over the melancholic melody, Pap Star’s distinct vocals are clear and melodic over the beat, He features stand-out drums that bring the whole piece together with that signature fast but slow experience I have come to know and love from Pap Star.
The most surprising thing about Pap Star is his versatility. In listening through Pap Star’s catalog, I had to open my music player to check that it hadn’t skipped to another artist. I needed to check my eyes and ears that I wasn’t on another album on more than one occasion. He is diverse in production, lyrics, and overall sound. He transitions from hip-hop to rap to R&B and back with hints of Caribbean vibes all with ease. The man is a sonic chameleon.
Stay tuned for his upcoming projects. An EP is coming this spring with visuals for every song on the project! For now, go stream ‘Frozen Heartz Pinedes‘ and get a deeper understanding of this new-to-you artist.
Update: For more on Pap Star, check out the song review of his single ‘Mudd Made.’
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