Renelle 893 Figures Out the Man He Wants to Be Throughout “Off the Grid” (EP Review)

Here we have the 3rd EP from London, England, United Kingdom emcee Renelle 893. Introducing himself a year & a half earlier off the previous extended play Black Currents, he would eventually catch the attention of High Focus Records not too long afterwards & signed to the label. The historic Hove, East Sussex imprint decided to have Renelle to their 2022 enlisting King Kashmere to fully produce Cocoa Butter & has gone Off the Grid alongside Bay29 to warm everyone up for Renelle’s full-length debut Art Thief.

“Spaghetti” featuring Vitamin G begins with a electro-tinged boom bap instrumental talking about fleeting youth whereas “Swamp Monster” jazzily speaks of climbing out the mud. “Recognize” talks about wanting to inspire brains over a psychedelic boom bap beat hoping people acknowledge his talents while “8Ball” addresses his upbringings. The title track featuring Cutta Chase references WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson near the backend of it & the piano-driven “Deadline” going worldwide thoroughly.

Offering an escape route from the monotony of every day life, Renelle 893’s 2nd extended play under High Focus Records albeit 3rd overall marks the first in a brand new series of collaborations to come with Bay29 & I’d still put it above Black Currents although it’s certainly behind Cocoa Butter. Bay29’s prediction comes across more ethereal than Chuck Enzo’s during Renelle’s predecessor almost a year earlier, cohesively telling a story divided in 6 tracks themed around figuring out what kind of adult he’s looking to be & navigating a world filled with distractions that’ll do everything to numb the pain as life carries forward.

Score: 7/10