Buffalo, New York emcee 7xvethegenius makes his third album debut under the Broadband Sound imprint’s new release deal with Roc Nation Records. Following her first two EPs, The Calm Before & Self 7xve, and her full-length debut album, 7xve is Love, 7xve didn’t get her biggest break to date until she and Jae Skeese became the first artists signed to Conway the Machine’s own Drumwork Music Group. She has since foreshadowed Deuce of Deuce with Thy Will Be Done and Self 7xve 2 and, most importantly, The Genius Tape produced by DJ Green Lantern, celebrating the one-year anniversary of her last drumwork last weekend and looking to wrap up the Self 7xve trilogy after 52 weeks.
“Stay”, produced by Haas Almahdi and S1, is a lush intro about being without care or fear, speaking to her home before going to sleep at night, while “Twin” features Sol ChYld on some CG piano, acknowledging that they’ve fallen in love again. “The Price of Love” continues the tonality, except that the kick and snare drums are replaced by hi-hats, talking about paying a painful price in exchange for affection, leading to “You and Me” continuing the theme of romance, contrasting what she’s doing so well, rather than what she’s heard saying about her partner.
Haas reunited with 7xve and co-produced two of my personal favorite singles with Bricks da Mane, “Pedals,” in which Reuben Vincent questions whether he really loves her over a jazzy instrumental, and Lil Sos’ melodic, somber “911” reflects on their feud as more than just their relationship. Later we get some cool samples on “Windows” talking about her overcoming the odds that were stacked against her, while “Worthy” featuring Flames dot Malik brings back the jazz, thanks to Cartune Beatz’s teaching that it’s not love unless you give some of it.
“Running” featuring Willyynova kicks off the 4th quarter of “Self 7xve 3” and talks about the theme of escape with the accompaniment of EYEKETYSON instrumentals, while “Save Yourself” featuring Monie Love rivals the lead single as the best single of the 5 collaborations, always doing whatever it takes to save yourself. “Survivor’s Remorse” connects with more piano to spit out what she believes may be the most authentic shit she’s ever written, while “On My Own” ends the record by standing in the dust after the smoke clears.
Each chapter of the Self 7xve trilogy has its own meaning to me, as the first was published a few months before she signed her contract with the label, and the sequel was published when she was said to be halfway through her contract. Of course, I have to mention that the last two issues were both extended releases, and this is a true album that marks a new era in her career with Roc Nation, carefully crafted to look back at the true stories of her life in preparation for her long-awaited collaborative project with Che Noir a month later.
Score: 8/10
