Tracy Heartfelt Starr
by guest contributer Michael L.
Honestly, I took a leave of absence from listening to hip-hop, but after listening to Heartfelt’s new album for free on SoundCloud (http://soundcloud.com/heartfelt-1/tracks) I foresee a return. I am an undeservingly picky bastard when it comes to music, and thanks to some early schooling from the artist Heartfelt I have always been even more so with my hip-hop. Fortunately, this is hiphop; so it’s not so much about how many artists you like but which ones you can actually feel. This, like the many other characterizations and generalizations that may seem so fitting for hip-hop and the work of hip-hop artists, are not so suitable for Heartfelt’s work. Every time one tries to narrow down his style it seems to shift with each track, as if constantly staying one step ahead just to elude those of us who find comfort in categorizing the world around us; but I if I really had to summarize his style in one word, I would simply say “heartfelt” (in its literal meaning).
However, in order to convey a more tangible thought about the sounds Heartfelt makes, I will start with the usual—name dropping. However, in each case the comparison falls short in some way (but usually in a good way). For instance, his style parallels a younger and less stable Atmosphere, but not in any “cover band” sort of way; it is more like Heartfelt’s headphones and equipment are literally stained by years of listening to Slug’s beats, so he can be heard in the background like some kind of audio ghost. This is most prevalent in the beats of the gloomiest of tracks, particularly in “Dead Star” where the faint sound of Atmosphere beats can be heard in the background at the end of the song. His lyrical style also reminds one of a smarter-West Coast version of Eminem, but for all the right reasons! His honesty is similarly pure enough that people stop to listen and relate to the words that they themselves wish they could get off their chests; Heartfelt therefore speaks to our inner self and subs for our inner mouth piece.
His lyrics and dialect are also noticeably distinct from many other white hip-hop artists, whom are mostly either exaggerating in stereotypical white goofiness or are significantly influenced by urban styles (yea, I said it). Instead, Heartfelt strikes a pleasant and very genuine stance that he makes his own. This seems to position himself more as an everyday person and even a hip-hop outsider at first, but his lyrics dissect and diagnose hip-hop in songs like “Natural Selection” with such lethal accuracy that anyone can relate, whether they are an expert “insider” or someone just looking in who feels it. However, in other tracks about hip-hop it seems he does not set out to make it the main focus of the track, and his reflective critiques do not sound like passing digressions from his main message; he still raps about his life, but it just so happens that his life is hip-hop. This leaves the listener begging for the fresh air that is Heartfelt’s critical focus and honesty to touch many other things in our lives as well as to extend his worries of the future, such as with the track “Smokers Cough” which speaks truth to the ills of cigarettes.
Heartfelt therefore lives up to the literal meaning of his performer name (and his real middle name) “Heartfelt” through his lyrics. He also has a salient passion to live up to the symbolic meaning of his last name, which is pronounced the same as “star”, through his passionate performances. Despite the degree to which Heartfelt went from being a young fan in the crowd at hip-hop shows to actually performing on stage next to his idols (such as Sage Francis), he refuses to grant himself any breathing room until he considers himself a star. This is certainly something we are all made insiders to with his new album Hollowed Out Tree.
Favorite tracks: “Natural Selection, “A Soldier’s Retreat”
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