This year the Austin hip hop scene has made major strides mostly by proving the commercial viability of its top up and comers, but that doesn’t mean the weird elements of the scene are gone or have slowed down. Take Willing, for example. Wielding a lexicon the size of a major army, Willing has far more in common with Busdriver and Aesop Rock than Migos and, uh, A$AP Rocky. But as Willing’s new Slow Hand-produced single proves, he also has a simmering rage to his style that makes him stand out from the bulk of his weirdo rap peers. Slow Hand’s beat emphasizes that rage by leaving space between beats for it to build, until explosive, chest rattling synth bass joins it for the hook. It’s a different approach from the one Slow Hand takes with his main project Triplets but it pays off nicely here. You’ll be able to hear more of Willing on June 15th when his tape EP An Exercise In drops, but until then enjoy “Gestures and Motives”
