Rafiq Chique x Feckless: Ephemeral (feat. Maiztro)
By Caspar Louis (@caspar_louis)
For me, these cold autumn/winter months bring a hustle n grind attitude with them, especially with covid… party time is over and it’s time to get your head down. Ephemeral sets the scene for the end of the year, when things get colder and the thoughts get deeper, we look back at all the crazy shit that’s happened. The almost dreamy production from Feckless makes it a song to get lost in thought, whilst Rafiq Chique brings you right back to reality, talking about his hustle and his determination to beat his obstacles.
The song is set around ‘the calm before the storm’ just before the influx of civil unrest in the states this year. Chique talks about the issues and pushbacks that he and his people have had throughout life, the constant hustle that is required to “get leverage, get that high-ground”. Although I can hear a lot of pain in his voice, there is undeniable strength, optimism and determination behind his words.
Maiztro comes in with the spacey vocals, something you can hear quite often with his production (go check out his work, it’s all very dope). His vocals add a perspective that adds a nice balance to the song, more of a laid back attitude and maybe even a bit of a call for comfort “All I need is you”.
I think the lyrics, the message, the vocals, the production… everything on this track comes together in such a dope way. The song makes you reflect on the past with optimism on the future, it tells you about all the shit that’s gone wrong whilst empowering you to take control.