The Grand Nationxl collective is doing the groundwork and becoming some of The Bay Area hip-hop scene’s standout artists. One of the men at the forefront of that is Richmond’s very own Mani Draper. He kicked July off with Communion: Book 2, a follow up to his EP, Communion which dropped earlier in the year. With a run time of just over 17 minutes and features from Rolanda D. Bell, Brookfield Duece, Dame Drummer and Kevin Allen not a second is wasted, from beat selection, flow pattern, skit placement, everything serves its purpose.
Mani’s baritone voice, variety of deliveries, and range of beats make him like a center that can dominate the post but still bring the ball up court and shoot the 3. The intro track, “Bright Side” produced by Jay Anthony is reminiscent of OutKast, with a hook and beat that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear placed in a T-Mobile commercial. A notable thing Draper remains consistent with throughout the project is his lyricism. On one of favorites tracks, “Kush/Gospel.” he raps,
“Red beans and rice on Granny life n****s been prayed over unsigned hype, box for the likes was sposed to get you closer would future me had relayed this sober? in the main sanctuary reekin no sense in tryna mask the odor.”
Mani Draper is staying true to himself, creating a lane, excelling and it's not going unnoticed. Communion: Book 2 is the perfect soundtrack for that quick commute. A complete product from content, tone, structure, production, and sequencing. If you appreciate hip-hop in its purest form then you’ll have no choice but to enjoy this EP from start to finish!
Released: July 1, 2022
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