Minneapolis-based rapper Vision the Kid unleashes a hectic and highly involved sound that promotes a savvy mixture of high-intensity hip-hop with smooth R&B hook stylings. Wispy synths and focused string staccatos surround Vision the Kid’s full-velocity delivery on “Devil”, the lead single off his new full-length album, Somewhere in a Dark City. With production reminiscent of the Macklemore/Ryan Lewis combo, and the cliched but effective female vocal cameo appearance at the mid-point, “Devil” is an ideal choice for a single. This is a track ideal for radio play, primarily because accessibility is balanced well with a full-throttle delivery.
I’m particularly fond of the verse that begins at 02:20, where a buzzing bass and high-pitched piano trickles provide sparsely effective complements to the track’s most rhythmically inclined vocal delivery. The track was done in collaboration with acclaimed producer Tru (featured in the Minneapolis City Pages Gimme Beats mixtape), and that collaboration exists in audible form throughout Somewhere in a Dark City, which you can stream in full below, in addition to the music video for “Devil”:
