Orlando’s own, UFO Empire, attempts to break through the rap stratosphere with their latest release, “a.”

Right from the jump, the listener is hit with a sonic wave of spacey synthesizers. The production on this project is stellar, and I say that while carefully avoiding a bad pun, mind you. They absolutely nail the space theme that you might except from a group of their name.

As far as their lyricism goes, all three of these guys have bars, without question. However, some of those bars feel clunky. I’m a huge advocate of syllabic structure and organization, so when an artist delivers a bar or two that doesn’t quite line up with its adjacent counterparts, I take notice even if it would be considered passable by most people’s standards. So when I say something sounded clunky or off, it is, but it may not be a big deal to you.

As a 4 track EP with a fifth track being a remix of the third song, there’s not a lot to critique, positively or negatively. I don’t believe the remix adds anything to the project, and the actual content of their lyrics is a bit generic, but the quality of UFO Empire’s sound can outdo those downsides. They have room for improvement, but an equal amount of reason to enjoy what they make.

Rating: 6/10

Highlights: Production, Lyricism

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