Undoubtedly, Reuben Vincent is next up. The young elite lyricist and producer has spent the last few years honing his artistry under the tutelage of Hip-Hop greats 9th Wonder and Young Guru and standing out every step of the way. From guest appearances to ripping freestyles (Sway In The Morning, Bars On I-95 and most recently the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher), there is no question Reuben Vincent is destined for greatness. Appearances
Reuben’s Jamla/Roc Nation debut album, Love Is War, is a conceptual, yet subtly constructed project that will place him at the forefront of debates about the new rap greats. Unpacking relationships and romantic entanglements over warm, soulful beats from 9th Wonder, Young Guru, The Soul Council, and his own production, whose collective work both modernizes and morphs boom-bap. With polished and varied flows, Reuben weighs the time spent on love against the hours necessary to pursue his art and dreams. Love Is War also features guest appearances from Rapsody, Reason (TDE), Domani and Stacey Barthe.
“I worked on Love Is War for two years. Conceptually, Love Is War is an acknowledgment that as young black men, I feel like we aren’t taught, and given the tools of how to love properly. We don’t know how to love our people, our women, our brothers; and most importantly ourselves” Reuben professes. “When you don’t know how to love yourself you can’t love others the right way, Love Is War addresses that. These last two years I’ve learned a lot about myself, but I still have much to learn. My goal is to love myself properly, and that comes with exploration (internally and externally). That is why I titled the album, Love Is War, because it is a constant battle to get to that center in your life. We all battle ourselves to get to a place where we can both love and be loved.”
Conversely, Reuben wouldn’t be here without both love and war. While the accolades will surely follow, for now, he’s focused on being an example to his peers and especially representing first-generation Liberian Americans, as Reuben’s parents fled Liberia during the country’s first civil war and settled in Charlotte. Reuben reveals that his parent’s sacrifices serve as a daily affirmation that iron sharpens iron. “My parents left Liberia in the midst of a war and came here searching for love. I’m their only child together, and being that my parents were separated from me since birth; I had to accept what I was given and find some type of peace and love in it. Love Is War is me going through the tug of war to get to the self-love at the end.”
On record and in his everyday life, Reuben’s aim is to prove you can be brilliant without sacrificing your swagger. After all, being a dedicated student of your craft and yourself is how you win the war!
Reuben Vincent’s Love Is War is now available at all DSP’s via Jamla/Roc Nation Records.
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