If this is how a POETRY JAM unfolds when Ciscero gets involved, then we might need an invite to the next one. The DMV soul child’s new single is – like the four that have come before it, dating back to Good To Know – a collaborative, anthemic bop. This time embracing the role of a high energy emcee and folding in the mellow poeticism of Foggieraw, POETRY JAM is soul-hip-hop coalescence at its most unavoidably danceable. Juxtaposing Foggieraw’s mellow, lyrically inclined verse against his old-school tenets leading the charge from chorus to verse and back again, Ciscero is once again able to explore a new lane of a single’s musicality without losing the very things that make him such a unique force of change in hip-hop and neo-soul at the track’s grandiose scale: good vibes, relatable antics, undeniable bars, hand-in-hand with ever-present soul.

 

With collaborative tracks now including Masego, Mia Gladstone, Caleborate, and more, it’s become clear that Ciscero isn’t just willing to share the stage with many of his genre-transcendent compatriots, but that he’s understanding of their sounds to the point where he custom fits tracks for the fluid grey area between his and their indefinable aesthetics.

 

For POETRY JAM, that middle ground is one defined by the energy of an artistic pack mentality, the old-school corner of live emceed hip-hop shows, and the poetic penmanship of rap’s oldest pillars, culminating in a track for the good times, the kickbacks, and thoughtful reflection on the moments when we could all band together in a room to the tune of shared creative interest.