UNSIGNED HYPE: Kode Phive – No Love
It takes a certain amount of bravado for an emerging young artist to refer to himself as a lyrical savant, but Kode Phive is the rare talent who can actually back it up. His newest single is his most impressive yet, as he unloads a constant stream of jaw-dropping lines over an impossibly catchy beat.
‘Ain’t no love in the streets,’ he claims in the song’s immediately memorable hook. Kode Phive’s ability to reveal every aspect of his personality is his greatest gift, as he switches from vulnerable and introspective to ruthlessly aggressive, often in the same line. Kode Phive raps with the authority that comes from a life of struggle and triumph, with the type of conviction that can’t be faked.
Kode Phive is an artist who understands the direction that hip hop is taking. ‘No Love’ is clearly indebted to classic hip hop, but Kode’s R&B influenced flow and emotional honesty make it clear that he is ready to step into the spotlight and become one of his generation’s best underground artists. If he continues to release high quality tracks like this, it will only be a matter of time before he leaves a lasting impact on the hip hop world.
