Local Listen – A Meazy is ‘Dead A$$’ About His Message

This is an entry in an ongoing series for 303 Magazine, which will provide a range of local album reviews. It is our intention to highlight the talents of local musicians, whether veterans to the industry or newcomers. Like the bands, the album can be fresh or something we just haven’t had the power to take off repeat in the past few months. Check out previous entries in the series here.

A Meazy has been perfecting his craft long enough to know when he has reached a particular height in his career. The lyricist took a break after 2018 to revive his skill and curate new material. With that has come Dead A$$, Meazy’s first release since 2017’s Meazy Shuttlesworth

With a title like Dead A$$, this release will nab anyone’s attention before the beats even fly to your speakers. The straight forward message from the title reflects the power with which the collection will impress in its listener. Meazy states that the title is a coined phrase he uses consistently, as he is sure of the product he puts out for his fans, and he stands behind its quality.

The rapper returns to the mic with a refined style that boasts growth, maturity and a clear sense of confidence in his talents. The rapper cites the writing process took about five or six months and credits more freedom in the studio — Get Busy Livin Studios — as allowing him to reach his potential with the EP. The EP bursts out with “Intro” — Meazy holds nothing back, jumping into his bars over a perfected head-nod inducing beat. “Busy Livin'” pours like a sweet syrup over a pounding piano. “Busy Livin” tells us who our musician has grown into, and Meazy states he plans to have a quality visual to go along with it.

The third track, “Pocket Watching,” brings the party to the front half of the recording. The lyrics invoke a high energy experience that is sure to excite a crowd as soon as live concerts are welcome events again. In fact, Meazy himself cited the track as his most anticipated to perform. “Controlling” and “Say Less” opens the tracklist up to its more sensual side, with the emotive belts of Danae Simone — someone Meazy cites as a sister — and Denver’s fan-favorite Rachel Bailey, respectively.

“Vices,” which boasts Denver’s Old Man Saxon, swirls like thick smoke through the melodious beat.  “Vices” stands out as  Meazy’s personal favorite track and Saxon’s verse serves as his favorite on the album. Meazy’s voice pierces over the beat on “Bad,” until the Dead A$$’s catchiest chorus takes off, chanting the title repetitively. The eight tracks wrap up with “Flex,” as if the rapper is showing off his lyrics like a physique. Interestingly enough, the EP was originally set to feature 10 songs. As an ode to the Kobe Bryant, Meazy decided to change the total to eight, the late athlete’s jersey number.

Meazy took a small break and came back stronger than ever in Dead A$$. His well-earned confidence and refined occupation are expressive, clear, and an indication that Meazy is dead ass about his delivery to his fans. In fact, a longer 12-14 track album can be expected from the rapper next, he says. We can’t wait.

You can listen to Dead A$$ as well as A Meazy’s discography here