We Plug To You... Luck-One - True Theory

Hello fellow GOOD music lovers, how's the week been so far? Mine's been pretty awesome and I know yours is too or at least I hope it is and what better way to start the week than with some good quality music.

Today's feature is on an emcee, classically trained musician, business proprietor and social activist. His name is Hanif Collins but he goes by the pseudonym 'Luck-One'. At an early age of 17, the aspiring emcee who was on the verge of releasing his debut LP at that time was arrested on robbery and gun charges and would spend over half a decade in state prison, after having been tried as an adult under Oregon state laws. Hanif emerged from prison with a heightened social awareness, determined to positively impact his society and gradually the world with his music, having composed thousands of songs while in prison in addition to learning a second language, studying marketing and working as an activist at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution where he served his time, the latter of which caused him to serve two years in solitary confinement.

In 2009, he released the critically acclaimed Beautiful Music EP with Portland producer Dekk with the proceeds of that record going to fight poverty in Haiti. Continuing with his aim of helping to alleviate the poverty in Haiti, Hanif currently works with freekids.org, a non-profit organization that helps deprived children in Haiti while musically on the other hand, he's been gearing up for the release of his debut LP and last year, he released the stellar preview EP titled True Theory: The Outtakes of songs that didn't make the cut for inclusion in his debut album - True Theory... Which brings us to why we are here! True Theory, the 16-track debut album from Hanif Collins aka Luck-One was released on March 22 and it is an excellent body of work.

This first track you are about to hear from the album is titled 'Sounds of my City' and the up-tempo musical backdrop backed by keyboard chords and drum kick patterns is produced by Chi Duly. This track is my favorite song off of True Theory and also one of my favourite tracks right now. I imagine this is an ode to his hometown of Portland, Oregon and on this track, he speaks about the city of Portland, the misplaced priorities of the youths and the many temptations of life on "the streets". This song is a great example of what Hip-Hop really needs right now and even though he speaks on real issues facing his immediate environment and today's society at large, it is enjoyable and refreshing to listen to and it doesn't come off as "preachy" or pretentious. This song is truly enjoyable with a poignant message, listen below for yourself

Sounds of my City:  

"$80,000 whip but can't afford an oil change"

This next song you're about to hear is titled 'Seraph' and it features Toni Hill on vocals and can I just say that the hook of this song is ridiculous. I love how versatile Luck-One is and Toni Hill's voice on the hook and bridge of the song is so smooth which really just adds to the real soulful feel and vibe on the entire song. The production which is led by acoustic guitar riffs, thumping drum patterns, simplistic whistle sounds and a glorious sounding bassline also adds to the song's soulfulness with Hanif really going in lyrically. On this track, he brilliantly touches upon real life and relatable situations and focuses on the obstacles he faces on his path to success. 'Seraph' is a truly inspirational song, with the hook of the song having an almost gospel themed tone - "let wisdom guide you through, its all inside of you..." and a moving message to "keep your head up and fight against negativity" especially on the bad days.

Seraph:

 

"Writing poems cos with all of these loans he figured he'd never be known to spit"

I love the above performance picture of Hanif as it captures the undeniable energy he infused into his performances and songs. The next track I'm sharing with you from the True Theory album is titled 'Palestine' and it took me a while to fully understand what this song was talking about. It's one of those songs you have to play over and over before you fully understand the message ingrained in the song. He goes in hard over this keyboard-backed instrumental production with a fast paced delivery and flow as he raps about the situation in Palestine and creates an interesting metaphor with the Bloods and Crips gang culture in America (look it up if you have no idea). He educates his listeners on an every present world issue while making it particularly relevant to his and their immediate environment. Its kinda hard to quote from the song so you'll have to listen below for yourself...

Palestine: 

 

Other tracks on this album that'll get you hooked on Luck-One are 'Warrior' which features Illmaculate, 'Prototype' featuring Sonny and 'Listen To The Rain'. The song 'Warrior' actually got me pumped up for this article with Luck one and Illmaculate really going hard over this violin-backed and thumping drum kick musical arrangement while 'Prototype' is simply an amazing and refreshing joint and it's backed by light horn arrangements, rich bass guitar riffs and drum patterns that make you just wanna move when it comes on, I think it's a track everybody can vibe with. Finally, on the mid-tempo bass heavy 'Listen To The Rain', Luck-One goes solo on what is another perfect example of conscious and socially aware Hip-Hop music.

After listening to this album, I was left wondering why I had never heard of Luck-One before. His beat selection is on point, his lyrics and subject matter can easily make him comparable to the likes of Nas, J.Cole and Common. Another thing I like about True Theory is that it has very little negativity except when narrating the happenings around him. He may not use the witty punchlines or have the generic flows a lot of other mainstream artistes possess or which might lead to mainstream success but irrespective of all of that, Hanif Collins is an incredible artist and you really need to get to know. Do yourself a solid service and add him to your favorites on your iPod because he's got something to say and you are gonna want to hear it.

Purchase: Luck-One - True Theory (iTunes) // True Theory (Amazon)

Max