Clara WangDenver rapper Supreme Ace’s new EP, “Timeless,” is musically pleasing and lyrically charming – at the times that he actually raps. With diverse production by Chemist, QuietStorm, MelRoseZee, Kbeatz, MandD, and BraveXstar, the beats are hard enough to put on a full album, and the sampling is done smoothly. Overall the rhyming is sparse, mostly patterned in 8 bar chunks with long bridges. When we do get to enjoy his rapping, Ace spits witty lines with a catchy delivery.
“Timeless” opens on a distinctly J. Cole via “The Warm Up” feel, as Ace raps about industry dreams and trappings in “Differences.” He emphasizes the J. Cole link, with “never had it all, just a dollar and a dream.” Other frustrations and aspirations are proclaimed over uplifting piano chords as he spits “One shot, that’s why I can’t miss/ Couple seconds on the clock, if I make it then I win/ Independent living, I’m yelling ‘fuck a deal’/ Labels these days misusing the word real.” The next track, “Coolin,” has very few bars, but continues the dreamy instrumentals with spacey chimes and dramatic synth buildup.
The club banger of the EP is “Bottom Bitch,” featuring Ryan Alan, which goes ratchet with generic party lines, “I ain’t trying to fall in love, I’m just trying to get some head/let get fucked up and forget what we did/ Never play to lose girl I always play to win/ that dress is mighty fitted told the lord I’d never sin.” The track is very well-produced, and MelRoseZee lays down beguiling beats for Ryan Alan to catch on the hook. “Pull Up,” featuring Cory Jones, also has more of a strip-club vibe, but the bars are skimpy and dull. This track harbors a minimalistic west-coast sentiment, reverberating with haunting rattles and bare-bones production.
Ending on a sweet track about his last relationship, Ace channels a bit more sensitivity. “Now I just sit back like damn that’s how it used to be/ Waking up in the morning and you ain’t next to me/(damn), Sex game right/ We fuck all day and we fuck all night/ And then I hold you close until the sun come up/ I make a lot of song but this one’s for us,” he raps over a soulful sample.
“Timeless” is stingy on the rapping, but in general a nicely put-together project. Polished production and prudent sampling make the EP a cohesive work, while Ace’s voice keeps things fresh. Supreme Ace has come a long way from his last mixtape, “Champion,” and continues to hone his skills. The EP at times sounds like J. Cole 2.0, but Supreme’s individual talent is clear. Keep an eye on this MC, his career might soar like the heights of his mile-high hometown.