E-Stro is one of my favorite up-and-coming artists from Los Angeles. His cinematic and provocative “Hate 2 Love U” saw the ever-evolving Cali product convince himself that he was soulmates with project collaborator Liza, down to the highs and lows (and toxicity) of an actual relationship and even a Polaroid in his wallet. I suppose the best way to make an album about relationships with another person is to…be in a relationship with that person? Important Editor’s Note/Disclaimer: E-Stro also adamantly recommends not going THAT DEEP down the rabbit hole as it’s more than a little hard on you and likely others in your immediate vicinity.
Method acting? Check. An ever-evolving sound with eclectic but cohesive production sensibility and thematic undertones? Another check. There’s panache and pageantry here, but there’s also vulnerability and honesty, something E-Stro recently cited as an artist’s responsibility in a recent conversation with The Hype Magazine:
“This World is full of people who are scared to show emotion or too prideful to become vulnerable. As artists, it’s our job to show them they aren’t alone. It’s our job to say the things that most of the population is scared to say.”
I tend to agree that similarly to the way in which comedians are a last bastion of free speech of sorts, artists are our final line of defense in terms of “we need to acknowledge this” or “let’s talk about this.” E-Stro understands the assignment and plays his position, plan in tow as he’s been on a prolific single run with records that reverberate his axioms loud and clear (“Torn”, “Caught in the Act”, “Shut It Out”) in anticipation of “Silhouette” (alongside Baby Goth). With all of that being said, I think we’re just starting to see E-Stro’s “Silhouette” so to speak, and like the best films and albums, the reveal his methodology is working towards will be everything.
1stDayFresh.com 