Steve 'Flash' Juon“Look at all the fucks I don’t give to anyone but me”
Random searches will take you random places, and “cold Vancouver rapper” will take you to Eric Reprid. Here’s what I immediately discovered — Eric Reprid releases all of his music copyright free. That’s right. You can put it on any mixtape you want. You can play it at any party you want to. Feel like putting it in your YouTube or TikTok video? Go right ahead. All Mr. Reprid requests is that you give him credit. That’s both generous and fair. I’m sure he’s saved a lot of up-and-coming content creators money that way, and in turn he’s garnered the kind of exposure that the song “Cold World” from the album of the same name nominated for a Juno Award.
Now did he win that award? No. At least he achieved a notable distinction in 2021 by being nominated — he was the only completely independent artist in the category. And listening to “Cold World” it’s hard to say he didn’t deserve to be in that spot. It’s a catchy song. His modulated and adjusted singing rap style may not differentiate him from his peers South of the border, but it also doesn’t result in something lacking in playability. His smooth delivery and hard beats are as slick as any bigger rapper with a major label deal, thanks to fellow Vancouver producer Marc Wavy. They continue to work together throughout the release and Wavy shows his versatility with tracks like “Nobody Knows,” able to take things from rock hard to pillow soft with a deft touch.
Since this was my first exposure to Mr. Reprid, I also couldn’t help but notice how many times drinking comes up in his bars, and how he admits on songs like “80 Proof” that he’s basically trying to numb himself to the world. I realize that in SoundCloud rap alcohol and drug abuse are the norm, and I’d be a hypocrite if I said I hadn’t been through a period of my life where I was self-medicating depression myself. At the same time when it got bad enough I managed to get put back on the right path and get some help, so if Reprid is living it like he talks it, I’d urge him to talk to some friends and loved ones to see if he needs to make a change.
It’s hard to know for certain whether or not that’s the case given (as noted) it’s a predominant theme to the genre he belongs to. Still when he raps “lately I feel like an addict” on the chorus of “Get More” it makes me wonder whether or not the truth is leaking out through his persona. As long as he doesn’t end up overdosing like Juice WRLD, the U.S. rapper this Canadian is most comparable to, I won’t say it’s anything other than a choice to make music that his audience will find relatable.
Honestly the biggest surprise about “Cold World” is that I hadn’t heard of it or Eric before this review. I’m on the lookout for copyright free music that sounds good for my own projects, and what he and Marc Wavy put out here is far above the average. It’s so far above the average that I’d be shocked he didn’t wind up with a major label deal because of it, though if he did he’d better give Wavy his due and bring him along for the ride. You might get better music for a video if you paid for a sound library, but you could easily wind up with something way more corny and less slick. As long as he maintains this copyright free policy Eric Reprid is going to get a lot more noticed.