Opus Renegade : Oculus
Opus Renegade
prod. knwn
Oculus
Up-and-coming rapper Opus Renegade teams up once again with rising producer knwn (best known for his work on ABANGSAPAU's BUAT APE?) for a hard-hitting trap flavoured single. Coming hot off the excellent East Coast rap-tinged New Age, the pair ride on the momentum established there with yet another solid track with convincing flow and lyricism from Renegade and impressive production work from knwn.
Opus Renegade raps of betrayal and retribution, and displays a poetic sense of lyricism as he contrasts the merciful mantras of his upbringing with the retribution and violence he intends to inflict on those who have wronged him (“I forgive, but I will never will forget/ Bury hatchets, near bodies in a ditch/ Forgive me mama for my words and my actions/ My evil nature not a cause but the reaction”). The religious undertones on the track that Opus Renegade throughout also create a keen sense of juxtaposition, painting the image of a rapper of faith that gives in to worldly temptations such as Kanye or DMX (“Breaking biblical law, I burn bitch as a I gaslight/ Maybe God will forgive me in my next life” and “Sins in my pocket, next to cigarettes and cash/ I take another sip of that whiskey from that glass/ I’m zeroing my sight, taking in that gas/ Im living with my vice, demons in the back”). Despite solid lyricism and flow, Renegade falls slightly short of greatness with his rapping voice lacking the presence and command that the rest of the song seems to require.
knwn’s beatmaking is once again excellent, although it doesn’t necessary innovate or break any new ground. knwn builds upon a simple piano loop with thumping 808s and snappy trap drums in an effortless fashion that puts Soundcloud-type beat producers to shame. Towards the end of the track, knwn builds suspense with a drum break and speech sample that leads into an extremely hard-hitting beat switch that allows Renegade to finish the track with a bang.
With its old school sensibilities enhanced with a modern touch, Oculus is an honest, solid single in its own right and hopefully only the beginning of the blossoming collaboration between Opus Renegade and knwn.
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