It seems like recently I’ve been writing about a lot more Chicago artists than normal, and I’m not mad at that even slightly. I love supporting my city because I know how talented so many individuals here are and I want the rest of the country to experience this as well. As far as major influencers in the Chicago music scene go, independent label Closed Sessions has been a force in the industry for quite a few years, and they’ve signed some of the most talented artists inside of the city and out which means that anyone on their radar has to be on your radar as well.

Most recently, dynamic duo Mother Nature decided to team up with fellow Closed Sessions signee BoatHouse to announce a collaborative project called SZNZ that’s due out in April, and I couldn’t be more excited. In order to build some buzz around this upcoming release, they teamed up with Chicago icon Sir Michael Rocks on their brand-new single “Cloudz”, and the results simply speak for themselves. BoatHouse is simply a hitmaker in every sense of the label with this record being no different.

Within the beat, he utilizes some ambient, spacey synths or flutes of some sort that are quickly met with rattling percussion and overly pungent drums that combine for an unbelievable foundation for the three Chi-city MVPs to go to work on. Opening up, Klevah decides to not only show off her insane lyricism and dynamic flows, but she makes sure her personality is on full display as she unapologetically spits her bars in such a smooth, effortless fashion.

When we arrive at the hook, they not only stretch their words at some points, but they also hum certain notes for an amazingly captivating and catchy hook that immediately got stuck in my head, and I’m here for it. In the second verse, TRUTH comes through with some influential and powerful lines that she delivers with an eye-opening sort of conviction, and although her confidence is undeniable, it’s praiseworthy rather than intimidating which I think makes a huge difference throughout this part of the track. Finally, Michael brings things full circle with a verse that’s full of cadence changes and experimental sounds that come through perfectly like only a veteran such as him can pull off.

While we might have to wait another month or so for SZNZ to be in our hands, I can’t express enough just how excited I am for this mixtape. Mother Nature never misses, and BoatHouse always seems to elevate any and every artist he works with, so this is going to be a tape that you’re not going to want to miss out on whether you’re from the windy city or not. What’s even more exciting is the fact that they have some features on the project that are going to blow you away including Brittney Carter and Valee, so if you somehow weren’t intrigued before, you should be all in at this point. Waiting stinks, but at least we have “Cloudz” to hold us over for the time being, so make sure you tune in as soon as you get a chance.