The Juice
Caleborate
By Natalie Silver
What if I told you there was a Kanye who sounded like Kanye…and rhymed like Kanye…but who didn’t run around in MAGA hats and sell sneakers for $3,000 and name his children after points on a compass?
What if there was someone who had the genius ear of Kanye…and pulled off the super suave “I’m Kanye West” thing without being a public asshole?
What if there was someone with the swagger to compare themselves to Kanye West in the first verse of one of their best songs, “The Juice,” other than Kanye West…and was actually good enough to pull it off?
Let me introduce you to Caleborate:
“Now they say this give ‘em that Kanye feel
I'm like okay, let me get that Kanye meal”
The up-and-coming 20-something artist hails from Berkeley, CA—a mecca of socially-conscious projects with a historical precedent of greatness from its inhabitants—and has released three full albums and dozens of singles.
Caleborate reminds of J. Cole, and his technically intricate and poetic tracks that silently cite a rich piano background. He resembles young Kanye in his inflection and intonation. But on a deeper level, he is lyrically smart and musically smarter. He delivers an enticing and interesting vocal performance over highly simple beats and pretty melodies.
His sound is raw and pure—void of autotuned bullshit, which renders his sound unique for our generation while still reminding of ‘90s and early 2000s stars.
Perhaps his most riveting quality is his poetic vulnerability, which is a precious asset amidst a musical scene where hyperinflated dicks and swollen egos have become absolute tropes of modern hip-hop. He gives us egoistic lyrics like “young n---- got the juice,” but in a touchingly earnest way.
I do not know how he does it, but it’s beautiful.