Hip Hop Habit: E.B.B.& F.L.O.W.
posted in: Features • Urban
Yin and Yang. Wax and Wane. Give and Take. E.B.B. & F.L.O.W. The metaphors representing polarity and interdependency available to this duo are endless, and almost make too much sense. A wordsmith from Mississippi connects with a hard-hitting producer from the hustle and bustle of Boston to construct dynamic hip hop falling somewhere between contemporary instrumentals and the olden days of straight-shooting lyrics. Every Beat Bang (producer DeMo) has remained behind the scenes for years, pushing dials for a handful of amateur rappers while dedicating himself to musical innovation and commercial relevance. Freshest Lyrics On Wax (Emcee Inf) took the path more publicized. He was chosen to be the official Emcee for the Truth Campaign on the And 1 Mixtape Tour, thanks to his invigorating performances and stunning freestyles at every destination.
The sometimes tumultuous tide propelling this ebb and flow is made sonic in Breathe, a track built on tensional intervals and lyrically centered on the need for escape before stress overcomes. This inner contention is partially thawed in the chorus with cascading synth strings and subtle keyboard accompaniment, but just partially. Somewhat audible in his tone, F.L.O.W rhymes with a masked urgency only truly identifiable in his diction: I’m tight in the chest/ from not getting bread when I been writin’ the best/ I have in my life/ some say I am the best I beg to be different before denouncing his suggested therapy in the chorus: the way it seems to me/ we just need to breathe but it is not that easy/ believe me the streets need relief.
Good Times (Dead Broke) sheds light on a more carefree personality trait of the twosome. Still speaking with utmost sincerity, F.L.O.W. lightens up in this track, emphasizing the importance of being able to enjoy the moment with empty pockets. He also takes the opportunity to parlay his philosophies on time: Time waits for no man/ time takes from those who walk slow along the wrong road and “Father time put us all in a power bomb/ cut our time short 
if we think we got an hour more/ the quicker you in the faster you get out the door/ that’s what the cuckoo in the wooden clock shoutin’ for. The beat is comprised of a punchy piano hitting straight eight notes in one measure, then trickling delicately in the next, all the while paralleling a vocal sample similar to the one put to use in Breathe.
What the partners have been able to create together has yet to reach levels of golden age resurrection, but revitalization is occurring no question. Having received an invitation to take the stage at CMJ Music Marathon and having performed numerous gigs in their respective zones, E.B.B. & F.L.O.W. will be flooding the mainstream within the near future.