The landscape of Southern hip-hop is crowded with storytellers. With his second single of 2022, “Honey Buns” — as well as a music video he co-directed with Brian K. Bui — The BlackSon offers a master class in how to stand out.
Eight years into the game, The BlackSon still seems to be finding new depths to his sound, exploring the ranges of his vocals, and experimenting with new production styles. (Here, he’s aided by SEJOHFROGI. and AyyWillé as producers; Seth Earnest mixed the track.) A lot has changed since Sean Smith first dropped music under the name The BlackSon at only 17 years old. In a combined effort with his older brother, The BlackSon co-founded the BlackCity collective, which has since solidified as a force to be reckoned with in the Nashville hip-hop scene.
Accompanied by visuals that call to mind the great Dave Free, “Honey Buns” rides on growling 808s, shimmering synthesizers and skittering percussion. It’s a perfect soundscape for The BlackSon’s aggressively delivered, husky vocals as he reflects on the tenacity that’s gotten him this far.
At least, that’s how it is for the first half of the cut. It would’ve been easy for The BlackSon to keep charging forward with the roaring sound established early on, but there’s an exquisite beat switch, in which the keys, percussion and his filtered voice descend into a slow-paced, head-bobbing portion of the track.
Over this more laid-back beat, The BlackSon adopts a fantastic flow in the upper register of his vocals, effortlessly floating over the production. Lyrically, there’s a more somber tone than in the boast-prone first half, as he muses about fake love and the ways it turns you cold. And just when you think the song can’t get anymore interesting, the drums drop out and Willé comes in on sax, playing beautifully off the lower registers of The BlackSon’s voice.
Whether it’s a stand-alone single or a lead up to something more, “Honey Buns” is an exciting new step in the Nashville artist’s journey to bring hip-hop to the forefront of the city's music scene. And for anyone hungry for more, you can head over to The BlackSon’s Soundcloud for his extensive backlog of songs you may not be able to find on Spotify or Apple Music. And be sure to give him a follow on Instagram and Twitter for updates on his next moves.
