I was digging through the user submission inbox on Thursday night when I stumbled across this gem. Full disclosure, I had no idea about Cyrano Sinatra when I clicked on his SoundCloud, but I’m grateful that the link ended up in our inbox. Osso Buco reminded me why I love hip hop.
Years ago, when I was beginning to explore some deeper cuts in hip hop, it was the genre’s power to tell vividly detailed stories that really captivated me. On Osso Buco, Cyrano Sinatra tells several stories but the one that stuck with me is when he speaks on the struggles his friend experiences trying to raise a 14-year old boy in North Carolina.
“My homie up in his ass because his math grade dropped to a D. An NFL Wide Receiver is what he trying to be. But in our corner of The Bible Belt, church is foundation. Sports and other fantasies are rare conversations.”
Isn’t that powerful? With just a few bars, Cyrano paints a small picture of what life is like in North Carolina. Having never been there, I feel like I have a better appreciation for Cyrano’s background. It’s hip hop’s ability to tell stories that transport you to another place, and give you a deeper understanding for the artist, that’s hard to find anywhere else.
Osso Buco is the lead single off of Cyrano Sinatra X Sharpcuts’ upcoming LP Good Eats. Show Cyrano some love on Twitter @CyranoSinatra if you liked his stories.
