Words: Renée Davis
ZINO VINCI - BABY BLUE EP REVIEW + DISCUSSION WITH ZINO VINCI
Dropping on 2nd January 2021 is Zino Vinci’s first EP - ‘Baby Blue’ which adds to the list of reasons to welcome in the new year. Raised in East London the 21 year old’s latest project ‘Baby Blue’, is where Zino Vinci continues to define his musical sound. The Ep consists of 4 tracks, Vocals mixed by Zino Vinci and all tracks produced by his musical friend AntonMaybe. With the impressive artwork for ‘Baby Blue' made by Vinci himself, he is a man of many talents as he also creates digital designs, animations and illustrations, as well as being a rapper.
1. Baby Blue - Intro
Starting off the EP with titled track ‘Baby Blue - Intro’, Zino Vinci introduces us to his own style of hip hop that is merged with UK sound and the pairing gives us something fresh. After an insert of a woman in conversation the track begins with a gentle piano melody with a heavy beat. Uttering of ‘My little Baby Blue’ and singing ‘Your wish is my command’ makes the track feel to me very reminiscent of past 90’s hip hop tracks that know how to create an uplifting sound. A favourite lyric from the track is ‘Divided by the culture that made me’, Zino Vinci’s lyrical flow would for sure be enjoyed by those that are fans of Kendrick Lamar and J Cole.
Zino Vinci - ‘I wanted to set the mood of the project by basically showing off my lyrical ability straight off the bat. This song is a reflection of the EP. By that I mean, I see my music as art so I treat it the way artists before me treated their art. As Picasso had his “blue” period, this is mine. This is just the beginning and foundation I’ve created for my blue period. Also, the ending is just a lil reference to me being a young kid rapping along to my favourite grime MCs.’
2. Real Thicc
The second track ‘Real Thicc’ carries a nostalgic 90s vibe, while the song is short it is straight to the point. Zino Vinci has a cocky yet flirty flair to his lyrics ‘Real thick like oatmeal, she likes the way my flow feels. While the lyrics on this track may not be the most serious off the EP Track but there is a lot of word play and nostalgic references throughout. Halfway in the song the track switches up which stops the beat from becoming repetitive. Real Thicc is Zino Vinci's first single off of Baby Blue.
Zino Vinci - ‘Real Thicc is where I channeled my inner boom bap 90s rapper. If I would have been in New York rapping in the 90s I doubt I’d be rapping about drugs and guns but I would be rapping about cartoons, comic books and tv shows I like, hence why the song is jam packed with references. So this was more so a fun little insight to what my media taste is like I guess.’
3. Studley Road
Zino Vinci presents ‘Studley Road’ as ‘a Love Letter to East London’, showing his admiration from growing up a part of East London culture. ‘Studley Road’ has a modern UK sound mixed with old skool. In this track a story is being told by Zino Vinci, from the title to the anecdote of daydreaming of a future self in English Lessons, helps to gauge an understanding of Zino Vinci himself. While listeners may not be the most familiar with East London life everyone can appreciate how much this song fits being played chilling out with mates on a warm summer evening.
Near the end of the track Zino Vinci’s lyrics transition to manifesting the future ‘Picture me rollin in a Blue Jeep’ the last verse is as if Zino Vinci has returned back to East with a new outlook on life and knows what his future will be. ‘Studley Road’, while being a reminiscent track, Zino Vinci’s manages to spin the song to look towards the future at the end. While the song pays homage to East London I'm convinced it should be considered the sound of East London.
Zino Vinci - ‘This was a love letter to east London. From the ad-lib to the name of the song. I actually lived at 40 Studley road in Forest Gate Newham for 8 years, within those 8 years I discovered not only grime, but that was where I decided I’d want to be a rapper. I made references from Ghetts to Villz, two amazing MCs from Newham. Within the references is just a tale of a young boy growing up in Newham.’
4. Knock Knock
The final track off the EP, Knock Knock is much less 90’s hip hop and much more soultronic, having a much chiller sound than the previous 3 tracks. Zino Vinci once again shows off his skillful storytelling as the first few verses explain a man's strong love and lust for a girl. Perhaps the beautiful voice heard during the intro of the track. The break in the song allows a lyrical transition to occur, this same man has started experiencing pain from love that was once so pure and tender leading him to ‘Knock Knock’ and hunt this girl back down. The production from MaybeAnton for this track is exquisite with strong attention to detail from twinkles and raindrops giving the song an added atmospheric touch, which compliments the sensitivity of Zino Vinci’s lyrics. ‘Knock Knock’ shows Zino Vinci’s ability to do what many rappers can lack, the ability to show true emotion while making every verse interesting. It is also clear how much Zino Vinci lyrical ability & MaybeAnton’s production compliment each other, they are clearly on the same wavelength.
Zino Vinci - ‘To the naked ear this is just a love song, but I wanted something more than that.This song is way more conceptual than the others, it follows the story of a man about to pick up a love interest for a date while he reminisces on a few Intimate moments that they shared together. As the song goes on I took a break from rapping and just let the beat speak for itself (beautifully produced by musical artist MaybeAnton). At the end of the song a lot has changed. Skip a year later, and the man has revealed himself to be a homicidal maniac obsessed with the love interest and is now knocking on her door in an attempt to break into her home.’
Zino Vinci's Baby Blue EP Dropping on 2nd January starts 2021 off with bang. A new wave of experimental rap is coming thanks to Zino Vinci and it is much appreciated. The EP as a unit is outstanding and I look forward to hearing Zino Vinci’s future music.
Stream Baby Blue Here: