Chicks & Rhymes, Vol. 5: A Listening Experience

I remember the first time I ever heard his name. Defacto Thezpian. It intrigued me off rip. I heard about him from a man named Mr. Carter. My pops had told him that I was looking to make a career as an artist and Mr. Carter’s first instinct was to send me straight to the Durham emcee’s latest music video, “Self Proclaimed King” — a single from his mixtape Chicks & Rhymes Vol. 3. 

As an aspiring artist myself, I was impressed by the quality of the recording and the concept of the video, but more than anything, I was blown away by the sound that I had just been introduced to. I hadn’t heard anything so unorthodox — something that flowed so well and addressed my local and social issues all at once. After watching the video a couple of times, I found myself exploring his website, downloading that year’s edition of Chicks & Rhymes, and diving deeper into Defacto’s catalog. I was inspired to know that I was from the same city as someone who had authored such innovative and imaginative projects. 

More than a decade later, when I saw that there would be a listening party for Chicks & Rhymes Vol. 5, I immediately made my reservation hoping I would actually have the time to attend. Fortunately, I was able to make time. 

When I say make time, that doesn’t mean I was on time. By the time I pulled up to Oak City Hemp, I was sure I had missed at least half of the project. I was just hoping that it would be played in its entirety a second time. To my surprise, the project was not playing when I walked in. There were some people talking, but I couldn’t tell if the listening had ended or if it had even started. I approached a group of people to ask, and was relieved to know that I hadn’t missed anything. I wound up finding Defacto a few moments later and he joked about intentionally starting late because he knew people would be on “CP Time.”

I took a seat on a velvet couch and began to observe the setting. The presentation matched the theme of the project. There were roses and miniature joints neatly placed on the tables, refreshments laid out on the bar, and dim but colorful lights illuminating the room. The vibe gave “Netflix & Chill,” with a lack of focus on the “Netflix” part.

Before long, it was time. Defacto began to introduce the project and people who had heavily contributed to its completion: Cheech La Cosa, the producer who produced the majority of the project; Ariel Drinker, a vocalist that made several appearances; Brennon, whose voice can be heard on “Muffins” (he was also featured on Defacto’s 2017 release Burgundyskylines on a track titled “Reflection”); and Brian Kidd, who engineered the project.

Following the acknowledgements, he began to introduce and play songs. By the second song, I was already convinced that I wouldn’t be disappointed by the body of work. That track, called “Easy,” instantly became a standout — with a feature from ScienZe, who glides over the easygoing Ilajide production as if it were made for him (apparently, it originally was). Defacto, who had heard an early draft of the song, added one of his signature conversational verses that eases listeners into the Chicks & Rhymes theme. 

The tape then ebbed into another chill song called “Fever Dream,” featuring Bella Nona, showcasing her gifts as a vocalist who can also kick a rhyme. “Fever Dream,” seems to signal a change in the storyline of Volume 5. The change isn’t very noticeable sonically, but if you listen to the lyrics, the story truly begins to unfold. The introduction of CR5 feels like a ride, and by the time we approached the fourth chapter, “Lil Playlist For Ya,” we find Defacto making a playlist for his intimate friend. No time is wasted, the song starts with a beat that feels like a late night riding through downtown Durham. Before long though, we find ourselves in the crib with a new vibe. The hook catches us with a line that reminds us of simpler times (“let’s play Def Jam Vendetta”), as the verse begins to reveal a different side from its scribe.

From there, Defacto begins to show his introspective self, as if opening lines for communication. “Half the time I’m jokin, don’t take it literal,” he says, reassuring that his intention isn’t to be offensive before the playlist takes another turn where he begins to ask his friend to keep an eye on the cops for him. A quarter of the way through the mixtape, everyone in the building was elated — and at the same time, we were curious. There was no telling where the story would take us next.

Just as things started to get wild, the mixtape gets grounded by Defacto looking within. He embraces vulnerability, exposes some of his flaws, and makes it clear that he’s seeking improvement and wants to better himself. Halfway through the record, we began to experience a change sonically. The beats started to have more bounce, opening a gateway for new flows. On “Ve,” the SchnozGod takes a poetic approach as he reflects on how things used to be before he lost his lover. On “You With Me,” he has  a righteous flow, and on “Quincy,” he simply goes ballistic.

As we reached the last song, we were informed that the title was named after a beautiful young lady named Ahnesti. The song had nothing to do with her, Defacto prefaced, but he found himself fond of the unique spelling of her name. The resulting track is a mellow boom bap record that features Ariel Drinker and Godric. In the end we found our protagonist having revelations and addressing his issues head on. He mentions having a hard time letting go, and admits that he never listens. The grand finale of the track brings everything full circle with a poetic offering that left me wondering how he would adjust — and whether there would be a continuation of the series.

My train of thought was jarred back to the present when we broke into applause for the body of work. Defacto made his final thank you’s and announcements. We were informed that the project — in following with recent practice from the rapper — will not premiere on popular streaming apps, but will be available on Bandcamp. Physical copies will also be distributed. 

Chicks & Rhymes Vol. 5 is set to release October 31st. Be sure to check out the Durham legend’s latest offering and support his upcoming shows! Tell him Tha Shepherd sent you. Peace.

Watty Z, aka Watty Tha Shepherd, is a Durham-based emcee, producer and DJ. You can find more of his work on IG and YouTube.