To Kill a Sunrise Review

 

    Kota the Friend has been on an absolute tear recently, releasing two projects so far this year including Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2 and the one we are going to cover in this post; To Kill a Sunrise. Kota teams up with iconic producer Statik Selektah to craft a gorgeous project that is chalk full of passionate lyrics as well as fantastic production. Kota’s calling card is the level of relaxation and tranquility in his music and thanks to Statik, the improvement on his overall song quality is through the roof. Ripe with moody and soothing qualities, the instrumentation cradles Kota’s wordplay as well as his subject matter, delicately crafting near perfect tracks. When Kota refers to “Killing a Sunrise,” he isn’t trying to kill anything, rather he is posing a question and the tracks on here serve as an answer to how he has overcome the experiences that could have placed him in perpetual darkness. To Kill a Sunrise is a reflection on Kota’s experiences and allow him to reminisce on life’s ups and downs, concluding with the philosophy of a man who was lost and is now found, basking in the warmth of the sun for eternity.

    The past is a theme on this project that Kota uses to explain how his “sunrise” is still alive. It can be inferred that if the experiences Kota chronicles drug him down and prevented him from finding motivation that he would have faltered, thus “killing his sunrise.” The opener to this project is the track “Wolves” and it serves to present Kota as someone who will stop at nothing to become successful. Kota raps “I can’t lose, brought up by the wolves, parted from the back, Howlin’ at the moon, youngin on my back, Mountains in my view, coming for that food.” The bars show Kota has passion but also that he has the experiences of his past to rely on and help him make better decisions in the present. The production by Statik on this cut is a combination of boom bap percussion and this mesmerizing flute synth that reverberates constantly, drawing in the listener and hooks them on Kota’s tale. “The Cold” is a track that sees Kota reflect on the past he had, with each verse serving as a jump forward in time to paint the picture of him being “alone out in the cold” in different stages of his life. Kota utilizes production that has moody percussion with a relaxing, mellow timbre, while harnessing a number of orchestral chords that emanate the sorrow and frustration he feels as he raps his heart out reminiscing about his life. “The Love” is important as the next track because it feels like the healing component or the opposite of what “The Cold” detailed in subject matter. “The Love” is a simple yet elegant cut that has Kota divulge the love he experienced that propelled him into success. Statik provides some buttery piano melodies paired with some commanding, simple drums to add a touch of bravado and energy to this cut. The middle portion of this record is when it loses some of its momentum, as the only feature we get is from Haile Supreme on “Go Now” and it does nothing special as the vocals he delivers on the hook fall completely flat. The next two tracks “What ya Sayin” and Live & Direct” contain very similar production elements and they feel like the same song in a way with minor stylistic differences. The messages of these tracks are fine, but compared to the rest of the album the execution by Kota and Statik really misses the mark compared to the divine quality of the rest of the tracks.

    The last three songs on here are really where this album shines, as “Day Glow,” “Sunrise” and “Sunset” serve as the culmination and the climax of everything Kota gracefully laid out before. “Day Glow” is an outrageously optimistic track and is perfect for the happiness Kota exudes. He raps on the chorus “Baskin’ in the dayglow, Starin’ at the stars, Takin’ in the sun rain, Open up the front door, Open up the windows and let it all in.” Kota raps about his past, present and future on this song, with the chorus highlighting his mindset and his desire to constantly be in the light, which is his truth and ultimately his happiness. “Sunrise” is a gorgeous track that triumphs with a sublime harmony between decadent horn loops and infatuating piano melodies. The track sees Kota having fully realized his success has come from his past and that his “Fire is eternal.” He raps on the chorus “I reflect, next minute we back, Money callin’, we back, sun shining.” Kota’s happiness is ours as well because he isn’t stuck in the past anymore, he just reflects briefly and moves on into his bright, beautiful future. The final cut on here “Sunset” is almost like the second part of “Sunrise.” The track is ecstatic and oozes jazzy tones thanks to the uplifting horn synths and the riveting percussion. Kota raps about reflection and revitalization to detail how he has come to terms with his own life. Everyone has heard of the saying “From sunrise to sunset,” which can have many meanings, but here it means “Rebirth” more than anything. From the beginning until the end, from light until dark, Kota is never going to stop and he is always going to remember his past to realize his future.

    To Kill a Sunrise is a beautiful collaboration between Kota the Friend and Statik Selektah. The album has a few issues but these are mostly overshadowed by the courageous and uplifting theme that Kota catalogs as the album progresses. The production is brilliant from Statik and the lyrics are some of the most passionate and artistic from Kota. A sunrise represents new life and a new beginning, for Kota though; his sunrise is that of everlasting triumph and a reflection on how the past is ultimately used to transform ones future.

Score: 8/10