Our first encounter with Vinny Radio–last week’s video for “Legend”–painted the picture of a highly capable rapper with a penchant for dense, agile rhyming, elevating what could otherwise have been tired rhymes full of blunts and bravado. On his Broke EP, Vinny expands the formula, casting the net of his capable flow across a healthy fourteen tracks. On tracks like “Drive,” he trades a young emcee’s confidence for a flavor more existential; on “Imperial” he tiptoes along the line of overconfidence, self-doubt, impatience, and hope; “Pharaoh” sees Vinny rapping stylishly about his prowess (with women, as an emcee). Across Broke‘s fourteen tracks, producer Swisher P. Fischer serves up a set of beats that balance old-school-leaning breaks, warm samples, and the occasional modern flourish to keep Vinny firmly in his sonic sweet spot. It’s a collection that should satisfy fans of pure rapping, hinting at greater depth to come from a developing emcee.
