Twenty-five-year-old Philadelphia by-way of D.C. rapper Oliver (born Llewellyn Oliver Robinson from Albany, NY) recently released the lyric video for his new song, “Years”, which tackles tough thoughts of doubt that many of us face.
“Years”, produced and engineered by Richard Stephan and mastered at Lil Drummaboy Recordings, demonstrates Oliver’s steady flow with heavy, meaningful lyrics: “We can’t decide if life is lived to fail but try / But either way there come a time / When uncle fold and granny cry,” tapping into the notion that no matter what you do, you will probably disappoint someone. “You know I give years,” he repeats in the chorus. “Holding back tears, now I fight fears.” He holds onto something during hard times. The video (directed by Nick DeMasi) depicts Oliver walking through a serene, yet somewhat lonely, winter landscape in black-and-white, encapsulating the tone of the single.
The track is part of an ongoing series he has named the “Payday Singles”, as their release dates all fall on the 1st or 15th of the month: subsequent records “Say You Will”, “Fall On Me” and “Marley” see the artist delving into the genres of Neo-soul, jazz rap and trap respectively. Production for each of these songs is handled by Brooklyn-based artist Ishan, a childhood friend of Oliver’s.
Oliver would describe music as similar to alchemy, “a means of transmuting personal experiences into tangible artifacts.” He published his debut 7-track project Stay With Us in late 2021, documenting the first steps of his transition from youth to adulthood. His work focuses on “crafting messages and ideas within the words that may not be immediately perceivable on the surface,” and that is certainly present in “Years”.
Find this and more exciting new music on our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
Emma Page, a recent Journalism graduate of The George Washington University, possesses a passion for music journalism and storytelling in all its forms. Originally from Baltimore, MD, when she is not writing, she can be found at a local concert or making music of her own.
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