LOCS is an Atlanta, USA-based rapper who has just hit my radar thanks to his new EP that continues his journey to self-acceptance. It’s called Arrival.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Anna Azarov

LOCS lyrical ability and realness has already given him a decent following in Atlanta, and the wider world has started taking note too, including us here in the UK. Rap done right can be transcendent and that’s what you get from Arrival. It’s an EP that doesn’t waste a moment, from the atmospheric scene-setting of 4Real to the take-no-prisoners, quick-fire delivery of CANTU.

Arrival is not rap as you might know it. LOCS pushes the experimentation in his instrumentals and covers a broad range of topics in his lyrics. Yet, fans of more conventional rap will find a lot to love too. There’s the right amount of flexing swagger, heavy bass and hard-hitting rhymes.

D4TC is the focus track. Written just before the pandemic, it’s one that LOCS has been sitting patiently on, certain that it needed a strong release. Moody samples and beats set the foundations and the lyrics are scorching. LOCS hardly pauses for breath during machine gun verses. It’s a definite highlight.

The EP is rounded out by the intriguing Get Right, the short but memorable Youngin and the freshly acoustic Pray On It. The latter is another EP highlight, with the stripped-back instrumentals giving LOCS’ free-flowing verses room to breathe. It’s followed by Hand To The Sky, a layered, bass-y collaboration with Brandyn Burnette.

Arrival is one of the freshest rap collections I’ve heard for awhile. It combines hip-hop sensibilities with experimentation well and will no doubt serve as an accelerator for LOCS on his journey to the top. If you’re a fan of Logic, Kendrick Lamar, or Big Sean then Arrival is a must-listen. You can check out the whole EP below.