Local Review: Zac Ivie – Wishkid

Zac Ivie
Wishkid

Capital Syndicate Entertainment
Street: 03.01
Zac Ivie = Atmosphere + Gang Starr + Madlib 

Local rapper and artist Zac Ivie is back with his latest, Wishkid. Ivie has stormed the local music scene as of late, opening for touring groups coming through SLC and traveling himself, bringing his music to hip-hop lovers across the country. Ivie’s style is easily approached and digested. He has an ear for infusing old-school hip-hop with newer sounds, and Wishkid is a fantastic example of his growth, talent and devotion to the art of rap. 

Ivie’s production for this album is well thought out and matches his overall style. For the most part, the beats on Wishkid mimic the classic boom-bap style. “Red Handed” has a RZA or MF Doom feeling, with a simple flute sample backed by hard-hitting kicks and quick, to the point snares. “Loving You” is a completely different type of song in both its production and lyrics, with Ivie creating a composition more akin to Bruno Mars or other retro-classic pop musicians.

In tracks such as “Loving You” and “Thank You,” Ivie gives himself a chance to experiment with singing. This works to a point but isn’t as strong as his classic hip-hop lyricism. Throughout most of Wishkid, Ivie weaves fairly intricate rhythms and flows with his own unique brand of positivity and wisdom. Instead of speaking about materialistic things, Ivie seems—as an artist, at least—to gravitate toward loftier ideas. He tackles love, relationships, artistry and success, always while keeping the listener bouncing along to the beat.

On opener “Pressure,” Ivie weaves these themes together well and shows the listener that, through music, he’s searching through his identity. He raps: “Every day when I wake up / Time for me to find myself / Must I remind myself / You can have it all / But only time will tell.” Ivie goes on to speak about feelings of doubt when it comes to being a musician in this world. Still, he forges on, giving SLC residents and the world something to bop to. Check out Ivie on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud or wherever you get your music. –Taylor Hartman