Perrion Reveals “Perry Hawk”
“I wanted to make something fun…short and to the point. It’s focused…”
Fun. That’s where a rapper 20+ years in the game now finds himself. It’s refreshing. In an industry where the top guys are bickering gossips and everyone else is deciding if they should go country, it’s Perrion who decides it’s time for fun.
The result is Perry Hawk. A mixtape produced by No Logo and hosted by DJ E Double that is sprinkled with sounds of skateboards, record scratches, and audio garnishes that take you back to a time when rap was easier — maybe even better.
Make no mistake, much like Tony Hawk trying to land the 900, Perry Hawk is a risk best not tried at home. It’s only 6 songs (two of them contain features: Slim Dollars and 3KBeazy). Its bone bare, but it’s in this stinginess or simplicity that we find the art of artist who has mastered his craft.
Opening with “Fired”, Perry dives into a mean mugging flow. At first, it sounds like unchecked braggadocio: “Artists be getting extorted for promo/ Fuck Perry Hawk, call me Perry Romo/ If they wan fuck up my bread, I’m spazzing. They catching these bullets opposite of slo-mo/“ But it’s actually a rapper showing you that even when he’s joking, he notices everything and describes it perfectly.
That’s not to say that Perry Hawk is all slick-talk. “Flights” reminds us of the power of a good RnB chorus. Perrion and 3KBeazy let you know that sometimes it is best to leave the game alone and take a trip with your wifey.
And it’s still cool to save the best for last. There’s nothing better than when the guy in the booth drops the pretense and gets real, hitting you with the absolute, vulnerable truth. That’s what happens on “Pain.” After 5 tracks of colorful, playful music, Perry Hawk wraps with gut-punching, eye-watering reflection. “Pressure make diamonds. No worries, it always shine after it rains/ I always bounce back from them problems I overcame/ I put that shit on me ain’t nobody else for the blame…”
If you ask why he referenced Tony Hawk, Perrion will tell you about his love of skating and how he made each song so it could be the soundtrack to skate footy, but the more likely reason is that he’s put in enough time grinding to know he’s gone pro.
