Chase Supreme - Apocalypse Now

You can always count on rappers for the most supremely buoyed-up opening statements. So says Chase Supreme of his debut single Apocalypse Now: 'You should understand at my core," he remarks, "that I'm not doing this for the glam of awards. And don't compare me to these half-ass rappers that brag so much that they sound insecure. I'm much more.'

Thankfully, Apocalypse Now lives up to the macho confidence of the statement, channelling a sleek Drake/A$AP-esque vibe - husky rhymes over a medley of tribal beats and haunting pan-flutes. It's a collage of sound and noise, a whirl of life chopped down to just over two minutes.

Moody, reflective, Apocalypse Now feels like the kind of record that allows itself to exist outside the artist's self-driven hype. It stands on its own two feet, empowered in its own right - and at the end of the day, that remains the most important quality.

The Delaware rapper's upcoming mixtape Blue Lotus is scheduled for an early 2012 release.

Chase Supreme - Apocalypse Now by Chase Supreme