Spend Your ‘Short Summer’ Checking Out This Sizzling EP by Rochester’s R.E.A.L. (Reality Ends All Lies)

Volatile and Lava make up Rochester duo R.E.A.L., and while the rap acronym name might sound cliche, this well-conceived, well-produced 9-track Short Summer EP is anything but unimaginative.

Every now and then we try and bring some shine to artists working on the outskirts of our 5 borough focus. Areas like New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut shouldn’t be left out of the Birthplace Magazine mix, just because they’re outside city limits. After all, the New York aesthetic definitely extends past the waters surrounding it’s birthplace.

Case in point, Rochester certainly has a bubbling underground hip hop scene, as we’ve seen on several occasions in the part. A recent example of this is Short Summer, a 9-track EP from the group R.E.A.L. (Reality Ends All Lies), a duo consisting of MCs Volatile and Lava (with Volatile handling production duties). Short Summer has both spitters, as well as a few featured guests flowing with character and charisma over energetic and jazzy tracks throughout.

Now those who know me, know I’m not a big fan of the ‘album review,’ but if you trust my judgement, you’ll know I dig a well-produced project with clever lyrics, confident flows and a beat selection that shows ingenuity without relying on 90s throwback sound, a modern Southern swag or an overly experimental vibe.

Short Summer is an example of that type of project.

So though summer is always too short, it might be worth your time to spend some of the season cooling out to these Short Summer joints. I suggest you add this to your BBQ playlist ASAP.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD: ‘R.E.A.L. (Reality Ends All Lies)’ – Short Summer EP