Atlanta’s Troop Brand is cut of the storytelling cloth. A masterful lyricist fond of fun-loving honesty and warm production, a years-long canon of single deliveries has pooled him in a school of modernist positivists and down-to-earthers of which Kota the Friend is probably the most notable current example. 

 

Ironic enough, that collaboration is the one the music world has blessed us all with today. Cherry Trees teeters on over-complimentary where both Troop Brand and Kota can at times sound like two different takes from the same artist. But, the similarities aside, Cherry Trees emerges dynamic and bubbly in its effervescence and warmth – a keen example of the movement understated rappers are causing on the greater hip-hop ripple. 

 

As the world has come to embrace the relatability and humbleness on display in Kota the Friend’s already celebrated FOTO, Cherry Trees isn’t only a wise move for both artists, but a keen example of what could be to come from Troop Brand and his hip-hop lane in the near future.