It may seem a little late to be talking about this mixtape but I Swear could be the project of the year. Calling Johnny Cinco the Drake of Atlanta is a gross over-simplification. The Atlanta artist does rap and sing quite well, works mostly with the same producer (Spiffy), and makes songs that are upbeat and boastful as well as tracks that are more somber and ambient. Cinco, who comes from the place that made Trap, does seem stuck on drug-selling music (and the 808-themed genre named after it) in a way the Canadian rapper never could be. Although it seems that his music has some influences from Drake, the I Swear mixtape perfects the airy, repetitive rap-ballads Drake never spent more than ten minutes per album on. Cinco’s music is also less accessible to a broader audience than Drake’s will ever be, less pop, less manufactured. His 2013 single “Wrong N***a” allowed him attention from fans and the music industry (Cinco signed to Migos’ label Quality Control soon after.) In 2014, the song “No Choice” was even more popular without straying from Cinco’s usual sounds. As a result, the rapper has been free to experiment and open the floodgates for song after song, and two album-worthy mixtapes in the past year. While some of his biggest moments have been collaborations with his label-mates or his part in a feud with Rich Homie Quan, he has otherwise been making music that appears unconcerned with the typical problems modern Hip-Hop has. I Swear has no misplaced collaborations with well-known artists or producers, no songs trying to be singles or radio material and no inorganic appeals to new audiences. With an organic fan base, original and diverse material, Johnny Cinco is the ideal modern Rapper.
