Long Island emcee Buddy Lofton is back with a slick new project titled Polished. Sitting somewhere between a traditional EP and LP, the latest release displays Lofton’s silky flow and charismatic mic presence.
Built on a cohesive collection of instrumentals cooked by soulful vibesmith/producer Josh Lamont, Buddy Lofton sets the tone from track one, Wonderful Day where he spits. “Josh make the beats, Buddy ruin them.” This statement holds true throughout the project as Lamont offers up one vibrant beat after another, and Lofton sends each one back in a body bag.
Buddy Lofton – Polished.
Throughout Polished., Buddy Lofton shows all the traits we look for in an emcee. His flow is smooth, fluid, and patient. He knows when to accelerate and when to pace himself. Switch-ups keep the vibes interesting. Lofton uses the natural pockets in each beat to fall into cadences that are steady. But never repetitive. Tracks such as Balmain Sheets and C’est La Vie display Lofton’s propensity to glide effortlessly over beats, using intricate writing as rocket fuel. On the former, Buddy raps: “Break it down and serve it, I’m so wavy I can surf around/I do it for certain in this circus you the circus clown/ain’t no turning down I turn a serpent to a sermon, wow/butter how I churn that shit, I might need an attorney.”
Aside from the obvious potent songwriting, and lethal flow, Polished. achieves continuity through its thoughtful hooks and detailed mixing. Rich with thoughtful layering, well-placed adlibs, and vocal effects, the project couldn’t be more true to its name as a final product. Well-suited features add to the charm, from Erin Blue’s hypnotic vocals on Feelin’ It to J.SOS’s powerful verse on Sam & John.
Buddy Lofton’s talent as an emcee has recently opened doors to perform at some of the music industry’s peak stages. A 2019 appearance at SXSW and showing at Atlanta’s A3C festival speak to that. Don’t be surprised if this scintillating, project leads to more of the same for one of Long Island’s finest.
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