We had seen Young Rose’s name on Instagram a few times. Although he is from Montreal, the musical offer is so great that it took us a while to listen to it. His 2021 EP, Stuck on the Moon, showed good potential, but its trap sounds kept it from really standing out. His more recent singles Dark World and Game Me Love were more original to us – and to our ears, especially.
However, we were far from suspecting that his first album, The King Is Dead, launched on Friday, was going to surprise us in this way. From the title track, which opens with a strange but comical intro, to the 20th track, The Weatherman, the cohesion of this first work is remarkable. Although he is only 23 years old, the artist claims that this first offering is that of “rebirth”.
In addition to his prodigious mastery of different styles and flows – without being equivalent, his register goes from J. Cole to 6black – Young Rose designed almost half of the beats on The King Is Dead. Mike Shabb, Djib and SeinsSucrer punctuate the rest in a beautiful way with, among other things, some drumless jewels. The latter also provides a verse on Careless with Time, which contributes three of the best minutes of the fifty on the program. Another magical moment unfolds on Ebayu, produced by Fabio, on which Rose and Kris The $pirit follow one another. The other collab comes from Montreal rapper SLM on Make Me Feel Like Music, which again hits the mark.
This song ends the “A side” of The King Is Dead. Young Rose announces on the next, The King’s Eulogy, that the second part is more “deep and personal”. As far as we are concerned, it is even higher. Malik Robitaille-Seck is clearly a romantic. Charismatic, he expresses his joys and sorrows with finesse. We also appreciate the respect with which he treats the fairer sex, even on Diaries of a P and Lustaholic, which praise his faculties as a heartthrob.
Just before closing, the young MC makes sure his message is clear: “You put your hands on women that something we kill about/I steal your miss and give her something to sing about”, he balances on That N***a. He may be a romantic, he remains a rapper. A very good rapper who can only get better.
