Theo Martins - Cloud 9

Need a little pick-me-up?  Well, have no fear, because the only rapper with stock in boat shoes is here to take you on a musical journey to Cloud 9 (with a stopover in seventh heaven, of course).  This newly-released single (featured on DJBooth.net before any other online music magazine) finds Rhode Island’s Theo touting his stratospheric skills in two braggadocio-laced verses peppered with pop-reference asides.  Centered around staccato arpeggios and chopped strings,  Christian Rich‘s boardwork rides a rhythm that’s not quite as smooth as the title and lyrical theme might lead you to expect; there is a little turbulence here, but the beatsmith’s blend of prickly and cumulonimbus-fluffy synth textures brings out the peaks and valleys of Theo’s flow, and the jumpy, slightly off-kilter rhythm sounds just right behind his dreamy, lightly-Autotuned hook and bridge vocals.  Do You Know Theo? has yet to receive a solid release date, but fan anticipation is sure to soar to new heights as this skyfaring single gains momentum in the Booth and beyond.