Material: MrGBLAZE prefaced his time onstage with a brief introduction for his audience: they’ve seen a lot so far, with at least two separate lists of hip-hop artists this night, but now they’d get a taste of something a little fresher.
In a scant set lasting 15 minutes, MrGBLAZE started strong with his latest single, “Mi EveryTing,” featuring a vocal track from MS. The soft tones from the prerecorded synthesizer was characteristically R&B while the offbeat rhythms and MrGBLAZE’s performance-dialect were very reggae––in other words, ingredients for something a listener can easily groove to.
Though MrGBLAZE’s brand purports to be a reggae/hip-hop fusion, his third track “Show Me Off” highlighted his rapping abilities, in contrast to the altogether reggae piece “Mi EveryTing.” “Rasta” was the one song of the three that best exemplified the combined elements of hip-hop and reggae.
Musicianship: MrGBLAZE’s contributions to this performance were his ability with the spoken word, and in the music previously composed from the synthesizer. What this Denver-based artist demonstrated during his brief set was his ability to play with his voice. His skills with slamming down beats and stretched rhyme rapping cut through the bar hubbub with a boom, a message to be heard without shouting. With the exception of his last song (which felt rushed, likely due to the limited time he had onstage), MrGBLAZE’s pace and tempo was steady, his rap articulated clearly and steadily.
Performance: Never in one spot for too long, MrGBLAZE was vicious, traipsing the stage like he owned it, demonstrating that confidence and aggressiveness were not lacking. His expressive body language gave you a reason not to look away.
Summary: MrGBLAZE’s energy was probably the strongest facet of his performance. “Mi EveryTing” was enthusiastically received, but the remainder of his set simply went by too quickly, sounding rushed and not so distinct from the night’s other artists.
What’s clear is that Evans Gyimah a.k.a. MrGBLAZE has proved, albeit briefly, that he has what it takes to grab a crowd’s attention. Now he needs to work on maintaining that attention for an entire full-length set.
The Players: Evans Gyimah, lead vocals.
Photo by Rosario Diaz
Venue: Five Star Bar
City: Los Angeles, CA
Contact: [email protected]
Web: MrGBLAZE.com
