Toiné Houston is an MC from Chicago making intelligent hip-hop with a neo-soul and jazz flavour. And while the aesthetic couldn’t be more different, Toiné has drawn comparisons with that ‘greatest of all time’ contender, Jay Z. Both Toiné and Jay Z are rappers obsessed with flow. Like Hova, everything Toiné does is effortless. She oozes over the beat. Bars are delivered relaxed, cool and confident. While her raps are presented almost as spoken word, her impeccable rhythm gives musicality to everything she says. She has that same delectable cadence as Jay Z, where even the most insignificant lines bounce.
Toiné’s EP Love States has arrived at a good time; where the appetite for both neo-soul and sophisticated female lyricists has never been greater. In 2015, Australia has rediscovered the chic of Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill – Hill, alongside Mary J Blige, Jhene Aiko and more will be in town to perform at next month’s Soulfest. On a local level, this is perhaps no more evident than in the rise and rise of Melbourne natives Hiatus Kaiyote. Toiné’s work can accurately be described as neo-soul, jazz or even spoken word, but I would argue that its essence is distinctly hip-hop. At its core, it has a vitality and energy that is often lacking in those other, more passive genres.
The production is cool in the truest sense. Relaxed soul and jazz sounds that evoke the speakeasy where that word was first used as slang. Cool On You is pure strutting jazz, complete with saxophone and female vocals. I Remember uses bubbly fusion jazz, while You Ever? captures the throwback sound and the warmth of the distortion of a spinning record. These are blended seamlessly with some modern elements. Summertime is almost house-y in its composition. You could almost sample any vocal line to form the chorus of a 90’s banger. BMW is more for the hip-hop purist with hardcore 90’s boom bap.
Toiné’s background in poetry and spoken word is apparent in her lyrics. Virtually anyone can connect a series of irrelevant rhyming boasts, but only the greats could construct meaningful stories that didn’t sacrifice quality rhymes. BMW is a masterclass in hip-hop storytelling. Instantly reminiscent of those spine-tingling rap tales like Brenda’s Got A Baby or the more recent Kiesha’s Song – this is both important social commentary and excellent music. It deals with the universal tragedy of the allure of the abusive relationship. An issue that affects so many, and yet this is one of the only times it has been reduced to song. Toiné offers a refreshing perspective on some rap clichés. Cool On You is a feminine imagination of A Tribe Called Quest’s Electric Relaxation. Both are smooth jams that deal with desire. I Remember reverses a typical trend of objectification. Toine lusts after a “long-legged dude, look so long-legged right.” This is all delivered with that same breezy charisma, that makes it suave and sophisticated.
Toiné Houston offers a classy debut that masters everything that is cool in modern music: jazz, neosoul and hip-hop. Have a listen on Soundcloud: