Sideshow : TIGRAY FUNK

"Sideshow's slinking songs seem like dispatches from every teetering edge: poverty, sanity, sobriety, stardom. They're efficient and lithe, delivered with the nonchalance of someone altered by the things they've seen, but numb enough to wake up and continue. Drugs and violence lurk as much as they linger, casting long shadows no matter the angle of light."

"Though his voice never rises above a muted croak, and his delivery doesn't have a lot of giddyup, you'd be mistaken to call the Tigray-born, DMV-raised rapper's music 'chill.' He prefers jittery, kaleidoscopic production, disorienting enough to disguise the darkness in his lyrics. Sideshow isn't out to be deceptive, though; he's plainspoken about his fears and regrets, ruthlessly honest about his substance abuse."

"On the stark and sublime TIGRAY FUNK, Sideshow's starting to show signs of psychological wear and tear. His latest album is a worn-out opus, a 32-track, hour-long journey that views the depths of addiction and the highs of indie rap success with the same vacant gaze. His outward demeanor hasn't changed much, but there's a newly weary fatigue in his voice."

Sideshow is a Tigray-born, DMV-raised rapper whose music explores the destructive forces of drugs, violence, poverty, and mental instability. Despite his muted vocal delivery and understated demeanor, his work is far from passive, featuring jittery, kaleidoscopic production that masks the darkness of his lyrics. He maintains ruthless honesty about substance abuse and personal regrets while remaining perplexed by the powerful forces controlling his life. His albums move rapidly between hazy vignettes, blending trippy sonics with concrete cadences. On his latest album TIGRAY FUNK, a 32-track hour-long journey, Sideshow exhibits signs of psychological deterioration, viewing addiction and indie rap success with the same vacant gaze while displaying newly weary fatigue in his voice.

Read at Pitchfork