Austin rap legend Bavu Blakes takes a break from his scholarship to team with producer DJ Brimlo (Galvin McKinney) on a brief, five-track tale about a wayward young man seeking redemption. C.J. Edwards provides an evocative chorus as Blakes details the slippery slope on “Dead to Us” with emotion: “Unsafe, where’s the safe, another case, safe to say it ain’t pretty/ Hardly ever left the hood or left the city/ Freedom, at last, unlikely baby, here’s my address, write me maybe.” The rapper’s in fine form on “Yesterday,” a nostalgic, piano-driven number featuring singer/producer Reggie Coby and songstress Tempest Barnes.

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This article appears in June 23 • 2017.

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Kahron Spearman is a journalist and writer with bylines including The Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Consequence of Sound, Texas Highways, and the London-based journal The Break-Down. He currently serves as Senior Editor at Atmosphere TV.