16 Oct 2024
Will McClean - Single Review: Man on a Mission
28 Sep 2022 // A review by Danica Bryant
Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s resident hip hop star Will McClean collaborates with Casual Healing on Man on a Mission, a mellow, emotive track that showcases his earnest lyricism.
McClean’s verses capture a deceptively relaxed flow, that in actuality is carefully constructed with tight rhymes and subtle melodies. Whilst the song’s first section explores themes common to the rap genre, such as parties, drugs and family connections, it quickly enters more serious territory in its second verse. McClean becomes suddenly intense, recounting brutal childhood memories of losing his father in a way that fiercely captures the listener’s attention. This dynamic moment reflects his desire to become more “cohesive, conceptual and vulnerable” in his material.
Man on a Mission boasts a soulful hook which positively floats upon its dreamy, relaxed production. Ethereal vocal ad libs and spacey guitars fill out the arrangement. By spending much of its early runtime building instrumental ideas, the track feels very full. It’s ambient, moody and yet still calm, a powerful balance to strike.
As Will McClean suggests, “take five and just listen” to this impassioned track. It’s engaging, emotional, and everything the best hip-hop music strives to be.
Rating:
( 5 / 5 )
About Will McClean
Whilst being the ultimate hype man, Will’s main priority, however, is clarifying who, exactly, he represents. The short answer is his family and his friends.
Will’s late father was the frontman for a band that formed in the 80’s called The Vacuum and is a key drive of McClean’s inspiration to continue his musical legacy. Having also been surrounded by music in his home for the majority of his life, Will says “with Mum blasting artists like Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill and Fat Freddy’s Drop all day, everyday; I used to be rapping and singing along and it ultimately made me gravitate to creating some flows for myself.” His ever expanding musical inspirations consist of the likes of Loyle Carner, Tom Scott and J. Cole to name a few.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Will McClean
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