Album Review: Short Moscato’s ‘My First Pair of Slippers’

Short Moscato’s new project “My First Pair of Slippers,” is pure fire.Moscato, who plays a large role in producing as well as rapping on the album, can be described as a new-age trap rapper that fuses real bars with trap beats. The first track on the album: “Human,” begins with the hiss old mixtapes make when one plays them. Moscato then brings in chorus- hymn sounding samples that build to a trap beat. Moscato right away seems to be saying: “I’m new-age, but I haven’t lost the breath of classic hip-hop.” The beat reminds me of a vision quest, as it employs wild-sounding percussion as well as open vocals that echo throughout the song. The two rappers on the track, Short Moscato and Billie Essco follow the theme of being “just a human,” though the strength of the human imagination can lead higher powers and revelations.

“New Trap Boom Bap” is the next track, as well as a testament and declaration of the artist’s style. The epic-sounding beat mixed with the sexual moans of a symbolic “Lady Luck” proves to be a roar of pride for Short Moscato. Moscato wants to teach the listener that luck is just a construct, one that he doesn’t need to succeed. He raps: “Lady Luck be trying to fuck me/ But I think she’s ugly.” So if not luck, then what? Well, Moscato has an arsenal of things to help him along the way: beats that medicate him, an occasional acid trip, as well as dreams that became gateways into higher knowledge. Moscato has a chip on his shoulder, and he wants the listener to listen to his struggle rather than assume that he got where he is without a rough journey.

The next track takes a sharp turn in terms of samples used. Though the first two beats are wholesome in sound, the third beat is less rich and simpler. It focuses on an eastern-sounding stringed instrument that leads into a trap-style beat. “Mystery Flavoured Xan Barz,” produced by Wza, is an attestation to Short Moscato’s lyrical virtuoso. Moscato’s lyrical style can be compared to that of Earl Sweatshirt and Mac Miller, who also use interconnected wordplay and rhyme to deliver an impressive quantity of words, without losing the meaning behind each specific one.

Though the entire album has a generous amount of bars from Moscato’s notebook, the tracks that go hardest with regard to wordplay are: “Mystery Flavoured Xan Barz,” and “I Need it,” produced by Scheme. An example of Moscato’s lyrical wittiness can be heard on “I Need it,”: “A stick up/ the prick stick his dick up make a hiccup/ she pick up bad habits/ I’m an avid acid lickin’ savage.” Moscato also obviously has an ear for great producer-ship as well. The work on the album by producers such as Flofilz and Kenny Segal add a jazzy, cool feeling to the music as well as a lo-fi rhythm perfect for Moscato’s flow.

Short Moscato is sure to be on many hip-hop heads summer listening lists, and it relays the perfect relaxed buzz of the lazy season. The song “Tiny Star Fields,” which is produced by Kenny Segal, encapsulates this warm mood. Listening to Short Moscato’s album: “My First Pair of Slippers,” is sure to give pleasure to anyone who would give it a listen. The album drops on 8/11, so keep your eyes peeled!