AOTW: FOGTAVIOUS VANDROSS

young vandross, this ain’t no contradiction.

maryland artist jesse owusu is known by his rap name, foggieraw, adopted through inspiration from a 2009 footlocker commercial. foggie's unique, "slam poetry" rap style gained considerable social attention, especially his work "psalm 62" which used the instrumental to alicia keys' "you don't know my name" mixed with foggie's distinct storytelling. 

looking into his previous work, in 2018 foggieraw dropped an album titled fogtavious vandross. though lacking mainstream attention, foggie's approach on this albuim is a smooth blend of jazz-infused beats and soft poetic lyricism, while remaining carefree and engaging to listeners using themes relatable to a larger demographic of people. 

a few standout songs include " u can't be my baby" and "she said ur blessed," two popular tracks that demonstrate the production quality and consistency of the entire project. the album remains a great milestone in his discography, and a great starting block for listeners finding a new artist to tune into. 

7/10