Hip Hop Habit: MyVA
posted in: Artist Features • Urban
First and foremost a lyricist, MyVA‘s (pronounced My-Vey) flow is voluminous as the aftermath of a breaking dam. He rhymes like a runaway semi-truck careening down the pages of the English dictionary, oblivious to any futile externalities or conventional song forms. This straight shooting motivation has thus far allowed MyVA to make a name for himself in the Virginia Beach scene, and will most likely land him in rap circles far away as the opposing coast. And there’s no need to worry about his authenticity. Straight from the rapper’s mouth, he declares to never portray anything other than who he is. Multiple personalities can be heard through his roiling accent (recalling Big Boi or Andre 3000, check out his cover of Outkast’s Jazzybelle) not because he’s sacrificing integrity to act or role-play, but instead because his catalog’s contextual fiber is a culmination of all the events that have made him, and whatever he’s representing actually does exist somewhere deep down inside. If there’s any truth to that statement, then this dude is quite the Renaissance man.
Of the many idiosyncrasies that surface as a product of MyVA’s mission statement to speak from the heart, the most peculiar goes on display in hot-headed banger Lemonade, where, among many things, listeners learn of MyVA’s affinity for cartoons. From George (or Jorge as he rhymes) of the Jungle and The Jungle Book to Goldie Locks and Marvin the Martian, it becomes immediately apparent that this sometimes vicious stinger with a knack for clever ego leaps also has a childish side that’s even a little endearing. In fact, the song’s central message is best conveyed through lines featuring said cartoon characters, one of which being I’ve Grazed in the jungle like Mowgli/ Not king of the jungle just Jorge. Throughout this heavily symbolic autobiography of sorts, MyVA stays true to course and chronicles his statuses in multiple phases of life, from earning only pennies to being a tycoon with a typhoon flow to settling in as just another one of the pack, as is noted in the previous lyric.
This off-kilter timeline is set against an aggressive piano- driven beat tense from the start, delivering a towering tide that peaks and then crumbles halfway through the track. Here, MyVA’s rap launches into double time while the rolling peripheral bass and straight 8th piano remain the same mellow pace, creating a gaping rhythmic divide that eventually reunites as the piece nears its end.
Talking a big game is acceptable when it’s backed up, as is the case in Popular Demand. This track takes the grandiose piano accompaniment from Lemonade and dresses it down to a single note riff, allowing a comically haunting tremolo synth to step in for the meat of the accompaniment. Lyrically it features MyVA as the protagonist once again, but this time mixes his rise from the bottom of the totem pole with some harsh words for his rivals: Haters I’m doin’ what you want to/ just understand/ I’m that much in popular demand.
In his quest to be ruthlessly individual, it’s safe to say that thus far he’s succeeded. Whether that originality catches on in mass has yet to be determined, but if the layered rhymes and alluring quirk continue, he’ll be noticed far and wide. The aforementioned tracks and a few more are included in the player below. Give them a listen and let us know what you think of this Virginian’s distinctiveness in the comments!