Alexander King has stepped out of the shadow of Big Smo with his sophomore album ‘American Gypsy’, and the Nashville artist proves once and for all that he can stand on his own.
You may have heard “Big Bottles” featuring Jelly Roll, and “Country Side” featuring Jelly and Yelawolf, and ‘American Gypsy’ does include features from some of the hottest artists on the scene right now from the aforementioned to Bubba Sparxxx, Sarah Ross, David Ray and Redneck Social Club, but those guest appearances don’t make the new album. ‘American Gypsy’ is proof that King should be mentioned along-side these artists as equals. It’s on my playlist permanently after less than a day of listening; my guess is it will be on yours as well.
King’s delivery is as much rock-star as it is rapper. He’s got that sandpaper voice that matches the tracks perfectly. He’s got a unique cadence that lends it self to a little head-bobbing, and his flow is perfect throughout. His rapping is faster than you think, and mixed with that voice, it really is magic.
From the onset, King sets the tone of the project with “Kiss My Ass”, a great song with a swampy guitar riff that lets you in on what to expect from the rest of the album. It’s far from traditional Country Rap; it’s more nuanced than singular labels could explain.
Another favorite from ‘American Gypsy’ is “Shotgun Betty” a rocking track with lyrics that seep jocularity and inuendo. Sara Ross and Redneck Social Club hook up with king for “Smoke Signals” and is another solid performance from all.
There’s a whole lot to like about Alexander King’s ‘American Gypsy’, especially if you like some great lyrics, a unique delivery mixed with top notch production. In fact, Dammit Boy (David Ray and Jon Conner) produced “Big Bottles”, “Learned The Hardway”, “Shotgun Betty”, “Kiss My Ass”, and co-produced “Smoke Signals “Neighbors” and “Fix Yo Face”.
There are very few albums I’d say country rap fans should definitely have in their collection. ‘American Gypsy’ is one of those. Buy this one folks, you won’t be disappointed.