Declaime Proclaims Righteous Flow in "God's Grace"

The Oxnard rapper waxes on generational trauma, addiction, and faith in the dynamic single off this year’s The Last Stand.

Declaime is no stranger to complexity in the hip-hop genre. His prolific work with Madlib is echoed in the stuttering beat work and off-kilter lyrical delivery in “God’s Grace,” ushering forth illustrative buzz terms like “super duper blood clot” and “the new you” throughout the melancholic single. Braxton Cook’s melodic saxophone peruses the open spaces under Declaime’s words, a strange mix of abject and soothing within the murky sonic world crafted here. “Pray before you eat, before you chew, say your grace” is a haunting motif repeated in hypnotic tones throughout the song, as if in a round. Featured players Ayun Bassa meshes with the open flow of “God’s Grace”‘s structure in similar form to the saxophone, contributing richness to the overall depth of the single. The song is a virtuosic exercise in the different ways to approach material rhythmically, and is exciting every step of the way. Out now, be sure to check out “God’s Grace” and The Last Stand.