Rap music today can start to sound generic when it consists of the same story repurposed and repackaged over and over again against a drill beat. Here to shift the narrative, boom-bap rapper Custom hits the studio intending to bring message and substance back to the rap game. The artist pens his story and experiences to draw attention to what truly matters, the reality of life. Not only is Custom bringing flavor and intensity with his new song “Rock Mics Properly,” he’s also calling for MCs to bring skill back into the art of music-making.
Authenticity and realness are hard to come by, but Custom bears his life experiences in full transparency in his music video for “Rock Mics Properly.” The opening scene shows Custom taking a drag out of his cigar with a gun in his hand as he heads over to a church. Here, within the walls of the house of prayer, he lays his soul on the track by discussing the hardships of living through trying situations. As he burns through his verses, the video is intercut with cityscapes and the rapper performing in an empty lot, proving that Custom isn’t about the flashy videos; he’s about the emotional rawness of his lyrics. In “Rock Mics Properly,” Custom addresses trauma, political commentary, and what makes him a stand-out rapper against the competition.
