Drift by GAIKA

Most hip hop that comes across our desk these days either echoes a straightforward 90s style or a sound reminiscent of a certain Swedish rap collective, but Drift by GAIKA avoids both of these categories. Coming closest to the Lil Yachty rebrand of rock-infused rap, GAIKA also skirts past the potential traps of pretension that Yachty was accused of, landing on a style that augments the rap verses rather than trying to overcome them. Most of the tracks here feature full rock band instrumentation, with a rhythm section that almost feels completely foreign to the modern hip hop paradigm. However, in GAIKA’s hands all of these creative decisions make perfect sense, and we end up with a catchy, impactful, and memorable hip hop release that shows us even more directions we can take to exit the trap bubble. - Michael