With the release of his next project approaching, Aaron Cohen drops off our third taste of the upcoming See Red.
The Jarren Benton-assisted "Bloodshot" features production from Brakebill, who also handled production on the EP's title-track. Based on the three cuts released so far, it sounds like See Red will rely heavily on aggressive sonic backdrops, which serve to compliment Cohen's blunt, in-your-face, and arrogant lyrics.
Tell the whole world get off my dick,
Like I don't know any better,
Tell the whole world to bump my shit,
Fuck you, didn't know any better
At this point in his career, Cohen has every right to be arrogant. He's been busting his ass, dedicating himself to perfecting his craft and his art - and people are finally starting to take notice. That's not to say he hasn't had a loyal fan base for a while now. On the contrary, the Queens-based artist has only been gaining new fans since the release of Crack nearly 7 years ago. But over the last couple years, the "right" people have been paying attention to Cohen's music, which has helped the spread of his work reach around the globe.
Of course, in the clout heavy world of hip-hop journalism, some "fans" will only deem an artist worthy of their attention if certain blogs or media outlets give them the co-sign. It doesn't matter if Cohen has been dropping gems for the last 7 years - if the leaders of the blogosphere aren't posting his work, then some listeners won't cross the threshold from potential fans to fans. Fortunately for Cohen, his art has been catching the attention of "major" blogs for years now, which has been exponentially helping his exposure.
That being said, I get the sense that Cohen would much prefer to have listeners who genuinely fuck with his music - don't ride the wave simply because other people are hyping him up, ride the wave because you dig and respect the art and content being released. While all publicity is good publicity and support comes in many forms, I do believe there is a differentiation between "support" and "dick riding". If you're spreading and sharing Cohen's music, then you're doing your part to help build his career and the spotlight placed upon him. But ask yourself if you're doing it because his music resonates with you and makes you feel something deep in your being or because a "major" blog told you he was cool.
I'll be the first to admit I have never spent an extensive amount of time listening to Jarren Benton but his guest spot on "Bloodshot" has me realizing I need to step my game up and dive into his catalogue. I enjoy the juxtaposition of Cohen and Benton on this joint - they both come in with the same confidence and aggressive demeanor, but their energy and flow differs. There's certainly a natural chemistry between the two artists.
Heart grew colder as I got older
Devil on my shoulder,
Look me in the face, told me I'm taking over
There has always been a unique confidence to the music released by Aaron Cohen, combining an at times laid back vibe with arrogant lyrics. With the recent content, it appears that Cohen is beginning to give even less fucks - concerned only with creating the best possible art while expressing exactly where his mind, heart and spirit are at in the now. I'm reminded of an old Eminem interview where Shady explains how, as soon as he stopped giving a fuck, other people started giving a fuck.
And no, I'm not even remotely comparing Cohen and Eminem, or bringing up the latter because he's also white.
Based on the three drops so far, See Red sounds as though Cohen is out of fucks to give. And the result thus far has been even greater attention being paid to his music.
In case you missed it, check out Aaron Cohen's "Hit You" here and experience the Jesse Ray Diamond-directed "Bloodshot" below.
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