“I will rap about your mama with your father sitting next to me.” Those words ring out on “Live From Hol E Wood,” the first track on Distant Gratification from hip-hopper Profound. The track features his mother recalling almost rear-ending a car when hearing her son rap these lyrics.  She shares: “My teenage son Pro had a vocabulary. That’s when I became his number one fan.”  This is high praise from a woman who readily admits to not growing up on hip-hop. And it paints a vivid picture of an early blossoming talent. 

Distant Gratification is being released by Everbody’s Hip-Hop Label, a Cincinnati-based hip-hop label and publishing company whose mission is to advance hip-hop through creating and discussing it. Specifically, they focus on Boom-Bap, the style of hip-hop popularized in the 80’s and 90’s that is identifiable by the bass and snare boom-bap combo created by the 808 drum machine. It’s a beat heavy sound that carried classic artists like Run DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, and the Wu-Tang Clan as well as modern day hip-hoppers like Skyzoo and Griselda artists. The label has put out several releases from label found MC Till and publishes a free online magazine as well as the excellent yearly The Boom-Bap Review.

On Distant Gratification, Profound makes a great case for the boom bap musical aesthetic. Produced primarily by Doug Infinite, the infectious beats hit hard overlaid with groovy jazz, soul, and R&B sounds that make for a captivating and interesting sonic journey. At the same time, it maintains a consistent flow and feel. This is saying a lot, considering the project is 23 tracks longs. Even though several of the tracks are interludes and filler, there is still a great deal of killer rhymes to keep your attention.

Speaking of rhymes, Profound’s mother was not kidding when she said her son had a vocabulary. I would suggest that is one of the strongest features of the album.

Several years ago, a list came out that analyzed the first 35,000 words of a rapper’s catalogue and highlighted the number of unique words used. It then ranked artists from most unique words to least. And it compared their word count to significant authors in literary history, including Herman Melville and Shakespeare. The point of the project was to give credit to the wordsmithing of an often-underappreciated music genre. Aesop Rock was of course heads and shoulders above everyone else with Lil Uzi Vert and NF unsurprisingly finished dead last.

Now, I’m unsure if Profound has enough recorded material to be analyzed for the list, but if he did, I would bet his name would appear somewhere near the top. He has an extensive vocabulary that he employs quite freely across the album’s 23 tracks. For example, track 2 “The Truth” includes this incredible lyrical boast: “It’s pro the magnificent, infinite title crusher.” “So Terrific,” an uplifting track the highlights the joy of the art of hip-hop and the way it can lift people up contains the hook, “Imma spit this, ‘til my soul is lifted.”

The album features several guest spots (including the legendary Masta Ace). Oftentimes there is an interlude recorded message from the rappers asking to collaborate with Profound on a track. Rap is a collaborative game for sure, but artists don’t always give space to introduce their guests. So this is a unique feature.

Profound pays homage to his rap predecessors all throughout Distant Gratification. “Infinite High” references a Fat Boys (and a Beastie Boys) lyric “Brr Stick ‘em, hahaha Stick ‘em,” throwing light on the foundational place 80’s rappers have in hip-hop history. And on “That’s How It Is,” Pro references Wu-Tang Clan “Cash Rules Everything Around Me,” calling back the glorious heyday of 90’s boom-bap.

So, is this album for you? Well, let me ask a few questions.

Do you think that 1993 was the best year in hip-hop? Do you regularly have arguments with yourself about the best album in the Native Tongues catalogue? Or whether East Coast is better than West Coast? Is Boom-Bap not just a hip-hop style but a way of life? Then this album is DEFINITELY for you.

On the other hand, did you read those questions and have no idea what I was talking about? But you would still be interested in a musically diverse hip-hop album with head-nodding beats and intricate lyrics? Then this album is ALSO FOR YOU.

In any case, Distant Gratification is a top-tier hip-hop release for 2022. It’s not on a mainstream label so will fly under many people’s radars. But here’s your chance to get in on the ground floor of a dope and exciting project. Pre-Order and Stream Distant Gratification HERE, connect with Profound on Instagram, and check out the rest of what Everybody’s Hip Hop Label has to offer HERE.