the stand4rd: the stand4rd

Earlier this month, Minnesota-bred quartet the stand4rd released their eponymous debut LP to much fanfare. After a cosign from DJ Khaled, these guys really got put on the map, and for good reason. Smoky, ominous and covered in a vast array of wide atmospheres, the stand4rd is a unique album for its progressive sound and blend of hip-hop, R&B, electronica, and other fusion elements. The group are led by singer Spooky Black, but their sound is a superb effort formed by the entire collective. The rest of the group consists of producer/rapper and singer, Bobby Raps; rapper, Allan Kingdom; and producer, Psymun. the stand4rd features mostly slow, crawling tempos and dreamy builds that create a full palette of sounds by songs’ end. Delving more into hip-hop on “Stay,” then driving home an electronica influence on “Pretty” shows the versatile style of this Twin City crew. the stand4rd might be new to your repertoire, but in conduction with the Chicago hip-hop movement just South of them, this new sound will inevitably draw in listeners of all types. “Float through these symphonies” by streaming and downloading the album for FREE below.