MISTA

As someone who really does get to listen to a lot of music, and review it with a discerning ear, I have heard many different kinds of hip hop, and there are different elements and production values of nearly every artist. On an overly warm spring day in March in the Mile High City I sat down to listen to MISTA, an East Coast artist with an entirely new album just released, “La Memoirs Du Mista”. Hartford, Connecticut is nicknamed “the Insurance capital of the world”, and just over a decade ago, was one of the richest cities in the nation. Mark Twain called the city “a chief” in describing it’s beauty, and the Aetna Headquarters and the Stone Arch Bulkeley Bridge are two landmarks that make Hartford memorable. But just like Atlantic City, the winds of change can be intense, and this metro area is now not a playground in the least. Still epic, flavorful, and robust, the influence for a musician here is a bit gritty; like Baltimore or Detroit.
As I delved into the first track the gritty themes were evident right off the bat, and MISTA apologetically tells us that “Now I have a Spanish hoe to cut my dope and roll my tree”. Titled “Equal”, the cut gives us visions of “purple weed and purple labels”, and has a perfectly basic percussion sample, with a long roll every couple of seconds in the drop. Groups like Blackalicious rose to popularity by having a very smooth, nearly cardigan and pencraft vibe while infusing little snippets of humor into the songs. My first auditory impression of this album is that it is the exact opposite of this sound, and I enjoyed the raw essence that it purveys. Peppered with backing vocals that accomplish the right quirk for the right time and still providing lyrics that were not penned down overnight, it works. Getting across the idea that he is incredibly street smart, and not one to be played with, MISTA’s choice of samples and eloquence actually fare much better for him then many others I’ve seen in the past.
The second cut off of these memoirs is “What I mean”; another placid tale of rather explicit thug life. Taunting that “Now I see you talkin’ but your money too low” and “If you Find me” the final theme here is winding up in a casket, the stark reality of many. With closely the same tempo and feel as the first track, it’s a nice slow spittin’ hard gab track. Professing that “Your wife was running so I caught her like a mouse”, this is another song about the trials of running an operation that should be heeded with respect, and the prowess you should have when doing such. Molly, shrooms, and other drugs are mentioned here with a casual and flamboyant air; and it’s true that the national stream of consciousness is gravitating towards legalization and not behaving in a taboo manner towards substances.
The track “By Myself” is absolutely about the East Coast lifestyle overall, and what it takes to really make it on your own two feet without the constant nurturing of others. “Ten years later and ten times richer”, MISTA is adamant about honestly not being too worried about what anyone thinks. What I hear in this entire album really reminds me of Eazy-E’s “Easy Does it”, and A lot of other influences from the Dirty South camp like Trick Mafia and The Showboyz. I hear some Ludacris in the entire mix, and also particularly appreciated “All I know” and “Wavey” as the other two runner up best tracks on the album. “All I Know” has the fastest syncopation, the heaviest drops, and best feel of the entire album. This would be my pick for the club track, promo shadow, and outreach momentum; I enjoy the way it blends the stress of the street hustle with the beauty of a post beat box rhythm. -

Kicking up dust from the East , MISTA, has just released his new project entitled “Le Memoirs” on Datpiff. This time around the Hartford CT rapper drops 16 deep trap cuts, with harmonic hooks and plenty of street anthem lyrics to keep your head noddin. His new project he says, is “an extension of his love for hip hop,” as he produced half of the tracks himself.

“Le Memoirs” first official video “Wavey”, has just surfaced and takes you on a walk in MISTA’s world. You can also check out his website IamMista.com to explore more of his unique environment of trap rap. Peep one of my favorite lines from the introspective track 8 “All I Know“.
It’s crazy how you find work / but you never find work/ I can never find time/tell me why your grind hurt/one thing I learned first/wasn’t tryin to get the last say/ let’s see who works more on the last day -