New EP: Tyrone Briggs - Scattered Thoughts - RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture

Every borough of New York City has played a significant role in the history of New York hip-hop and hip-hop at large, but these contributions aren’t equally acknowledged. Staten Island native Tyrone Briggs feels this lack of acknowledgement, but he fights for recognition in spite of it. His new EP, Scattered Thoughts ,is his latest step into the ring. Rapping over a diverse collection of instrumentals, Briggs conveys his thoughts on New York hip-hop, relationships, bloggers and more. There are no guest artists, but Briggs is so versatile that he holds his own without assistance (This is probably why he references Allen Iverson on “Superstar”).

The ultimate appeal of the EP is Briggs’ unrestricted willingness to explore different sounds. This openness isn’t equally rewarding on all songs, but when it works, it’s powerful. “Somebody,” for example, features a heavy sample of Gotye‘s hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.” It’s surprising to hear a rapper appendaged to the poppy ballad, but after experiencing Briggs’ intervention, it feels perfectly natural. “Loser,” which samples Beck‘s “Loser,” isn’t as successful, but Briggs makes up for it on “Cold,” a menacing Sean Nathaniel-produced song that features Briggs at his most vitriolic and technically proficient.

Stream and/or download the EP below.