As soon as I played Namibia Kevo Maro’s song “Beast Mode” I was intrigued by the beat as it seems to take listeners to another universe. While there is a vocal break at the beginning of the song which allows the beat to only play, I begin to think he sounds like Travis Scott. Another thought in my mind was that he must come hard after this long break. Even though I have already formed expectations during this time that the beat is only playing, I am enjoying it. This vocal break transports me back to my feelings at the beginning of the song in which I felt like I was being drawn to another universe. When the beat finally drops, I realized that he is sampling Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” featuring Drake and Swae Lee which was probably one of the hottest songs of 2018. With that being said, “Beast Mode” on Kevo Maro’s album, “Hella Dilemma” has big shoes to fill.
One of the beauties of rap and hip-hop is that artists are allowed to add their unique styles to songs that help differentiate them. Kevo Maro successfully does this as the beat is not identical to the original song’s beat. I appreciate how he tweaked the beat to suit him as an artist because he rode the beat well. The lyrics included the typical topics of rappers surrounding their experiences with women, their jewelry, and sex. Even though the lyrical topic is basic, I still was “head-bopping” as I listened due to his delivery. Furthermore, the last line seemed to be thrown in there as it did not rhyme. I know all rap does not have to rhyme but overall it seemed to be out of place as it could have used more development. However, I did enjoy the outro as he repeated “B****” which meshed well with the beat while keeping the momentum of the song up.
Would I say that this song is on the same level as “Sicko Mode”? No. However, I would say it is a good song because he seems to be in “beast mode.” By that, I mean listeners can tell that he spent time creating this song as he ensures that his lyrics ride the beat. I appreciate the visible passion because it is normal for people today to produce garbage and expect people to love it. Additionally, to counter-argue myself, maybe the song should not be compared to “Sicko Mode” entirely. For one, Kevo Maro titled the song “Beast Mode” which indicates while he may be using aspects from “Sicko Mode” he is creating his own version as he used a different title. Therefore, maybe his intentions were not to be compared to this song but wanted to use elements that he valued for his own track to express the mode he was in. Ultimately, Kevo Maro’s “Beast Mode” displays the beauty of unique interpretations and executions in rap and hip-hop.
Check out more of Kevo Maro on Facebook, Instagram, Apple Music, SoundClound, and Deezer.