by Aaron “Fresh” Knight
With Austin’s rap scene forever growing, and artists gaining steam with every release, few have grown more or gained more steam than CP Loony. 2018 in particular was a year of great strides for Loony, with his single “Thru It All” receiving accolades as a top 10 single by Kevin Curtin at the Austin Chronicle, garnering Loony some of the attention he has long deserved, setting the stage for his debut album, The Rebel Tape to be finally released.
CP Loony doesn’t waste any time bringing the heat with this album. The intro song, “A Rebel’s Story,” embodies who Loony is as an artist as well as a person. The resilient raps of overcoming struggle and adversity, empowerment, dreams and great aspirations– all are topics in which Loony spills out heartfelt flows over the aggressive yet smooth production. From there, Loony rolls right into the up tempo, braggadocious track “Fendi,” where Loony raps about draping his body in designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Fendi while still finding a way to make this song inspiring.
At the heart of The Rebel Tape is a central theme of rap as a form of upward mobility, about rapping to make a way for himself, his family, and to take care of his mother. This is certainly showcased on the song, “Hunger Pains” and “Greatness.” Yet with all the aspirational, inspirational, and uplifting raps, Loony still comes hard with something for those in the streets, as on “Bombs.” As the hook goes, “Drop bombs ni**a, my OG is my moms ni**a…,” a sentiment most in the streets can understand. Every line providing Loony space to tout his street prowess is followed up with a line explaining that mindstate for those who don’t understand its complexity.
Aaron “Fresh” Knight is the co-host of KUTX’s The Breaks, which airs on Saturdays at 10pm