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Article by Matthew Bailey. It's A Wrap Podcast

 It’s been a while since I’ve covered the music of Oklahoma City rapper Steven Gaines. The last time was back in early 2023 when I reviewed “Unknown Therapist of Dantalion”, a record that, in my opinion, still remains his most progressive and challenging project to date thanks to his significantly off-kilter rhymes and abstract perspectives on identity and spirituality. The first time, however, was during the infancy of my Fiverr gig with my review of 2020’s “Gain the Emcee”, an album that recently celebrated its 5th anniversary.

 Unbeknownst to me between “Unknown Therapist of Dantalion” and his latest full-length album “Balas Rubies”, Steven was keeping himself busy over the past couple years. In 2023, he dropped the collab-heavy EP “Earl & President” which featured a blend of smooth, laid-back cuts like “Me and the Mic” and “Vibes” and grimy bangers like “Black Witcher” and its SEQUEL (‘cuz it clearly needed one) “Black Witcher 2”. There was also his 2024 EP “All the Lonely People” that maintained the moodiness of “Earl & President” but ultimately felt like a small collection of bonus tracks from that EP as opposed to a precursor to “Balas Rubies”.

 With this new album, Steven leans towards a more accessible and trendy sound palette compared to “Unknown Therapist of Dantalion” whilst preserving the rapid, stream of conscious-meets-spoken word lyricism that made him a distinctly unique rapper in the first place. What I admire a lot on this record is how unafraid he is to experiment with lyrics and sounds, even with a short guest list of relatively mainstream-sounding rappers at his side.

 That being said, the following track “Sweet & Sour” is easily the BEST track on “Balas Rubies”. In addition to being the most accessible track on the record thanks to its wavy, chilled-out production, it’s also the most relatable as we’re treated to a truly heartfelt tribute to mothers, both – to quote the great Busta Rhymes – “in physical form” and “spiritual essence”. And though we get a great verse from both Steven and guest rapper Young Misery K (who made her presence known on the aforementioned “Earl & President” EP), it’s longtime collaborator Bryan MacKK who walks away as the MVP, with a hook that BEAUTIFULLY sums up how beneficial the role of a mother is in our lives.

 Overall, I really enjoyed “Balas Rubies”. Like his previous album “Unknown Therapist of Dantalion”, this isn’t the best starting point into Steven Gaines’ catalogue as I still say “Gain the Emcee” is where any first-time listener should begin their deep dive. And I do think that if Steven sticks to his preferences towards atmospheric and trap-based production, in addition to getting great features from his guest collaborators, he will gain a larger audience overtime. But creatively, Steven hasn’t lost a step since I last covered his work and hopefully, he’ll continue to carve his own path in both the experimental and underground hip hop scenes. And if you’re a fan of both, then you should definitely check out “Balas Rubies”!

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10. Now available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and other major streaming platforms.

READ FULL REVIEW HERE ON IT'S A WRAP!
ALBUM REVIEW: Steven Gaines – Balas Rubies – IT'S A WRAP

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