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Romaro Franceswa

The Stranger picked Romaro Franceswa as one of the “Top 5 Albums of 2013,” saying that:

In late spring, the young rapper Romaro Franceswa dropped an excellent self-titled album that was produced by the local veteran BeanOne. The album is about the streets, and the streets that Franceswa is all about are found in Federal Way. The album is good for three reasons: Franceswa’s raps are packed with energy, and this energy is matched by the second reason, BeanOne’s beats (this cat has been in the business since the mid-’90s—probably even earlier than that—and yet he manages to sound as fresh and energetic as a young buck going for broke). Three, Romaro Franceswa kept the streets in the 2013 game. What do I mean by this? With the continued gentrification of Seattle (good-bye, Yesler Terrace), it’s important to keep in mind (and not lose sight of) the life of those who are harassed by racist cops and often have to hustle to make a living in a society that has systematically abandoned them. In short, Franceswa is keeping it real.

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Kiss The Sky

Kiss The Sky is “a catchy, fun listen with stand-out production and memorable lyricism” says Respect My Region in a glowing review. They say the record is an “honest and uplifting project… It holds nothing back, showing no regrets for the amount of work, passion, and discipline Romaro has put into his music over the years.” ETC Tacoma’s review takes a different approach, suggesting a listening experience somewhat more akin to incantation: “Pressing play will take you down a neon-lit rabbit hole.”

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Mirror

I have one of Romaro Franceswa’s “NO ENEMIES” shirts that I wear all the time. In the current climate, it’s a message I like to project. His latest release, Mirror, strives for a certain audio maximalism, There’s an unrelenting quality, rarely a quiet moment. It’s like you’re in the mind of Romaro’s cover protagonist, worked up, nervous, twitchy, steeling oneself with liquor, afraid to look up. The opening of “Forgive Me” starts with a few mumbled lines and then there’s a joke I always laugh at about Kanye getting back to making records. On headphones, there’s lots to listen to, multiple instruments constantly moving in multiple directions. Some great collaborators here: Parisalexa, Ryan Caraveo, Warm Gun, and Ariana DeBoo. A great release from the always stellar Black Umbrella collective.

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