AJ Causey feat. Aries Kae – 2 Sides of the Lake (Song Review)

Louisiana native AJ Causey has consistently been setting the tone for the underground music industry. Since his relocation to Los Angeles back in 2020, he has released 3 projects, including a collaboration album consisting of 27 affiliates. His newest release ‘Roll the Dice’, displays the challenge of shooting the shot at what we want, dreams, money, stardom, love, etc. Solely produced by hometown affiliate Thanksrayray, ‘Roll the Dice’ has given us many great hits like 2 Sides of the Lake. Check out our review below!

Song Review

We rated this song on Authenticity, Production, Ability, Delivery, Cadence & Flow, and Replay Value to determine a final rating out of five stars.

AJ Causey is one of the best musicians we’ve come across in awhile. He displays a great ear for music in his beat selection and grabs Aries Kae for the perfect feature. The arrangement of the song is beautiful, with Aries Kae reciting the chorus to reel the listener in, followed by a carefully written verse from AJ. You can immediately tell that this is not AJ’s first time around the block and he definitely knows his way around the studio. During the second verse, Kae and AJ play off of each other’s lyrics, Kae starting her verse with the same word that AJ starts his with (imagine). Subtleties like this do not go unnoticed. These two are the real deal!

Causey’s delivery on ‘2 Sides of the Lake’ will remind you of Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80, Kendrick’s debut album released in 2011. His deep tone and slightly slurred enunciation has just enough southern influence. The emerging artist is a product of Louisiana and recently relocated to Los Angeles, California in 2020. Kendrick Lamar is a California-born artist himself, so maybe we’re on to something.

Even though we compared AJ Causey’s delivery to Kendrick Lamar, he made this track his own. Causey tells a love story articulated so well that is has to be true. Every word, from both artists, feels like it’s coming from a real place. If you listen close to the lyrics, Causey describes a relationship between two people of different backgrounds. He states that he’ll ‘climb any altitude’ to get to his partner. They even make it to a ten year anniversary. Like all relationships, ups and downs ensue. Causey muddles over the many angles a relationship can take, having us ‘imagine’ all of the possibilities. Aries Kae adds her own viewpoint in verse two, creating a well rounded song that includes both the masculine and feminine perspective.

Causey’s flow on this track is really dope. He uses voice inflections throughout his rhyme scheme to create a rhythmic progression that sounds like he’s drumming. In fact, Causey’s flow is kind of doing a dance with the snare drum in the instrumental. Causey is an apparent music lover who can probably find unique pockets in any beat. With that level of understanding and control of your breath, he is able to play with an infinite amount of cadences. You might even notice that, sometimes, Causey barely takes a breath between lines. This helps the song continue to flow as he weaves in and out of his metaphors.

We gave this track a 4.5 out of 5 when it comes to replay value because all of the great things above. Both AJ Causey and Aries Kae brought a lot to the table! They brought so much, that you don’t even realize that this is a five minute song (it actually feels short!). Causey covered all the bases; great lyrics, perfect song structure, nice delivery, and a chill beat. What else do you need? On top of that, if you listen close to the lyrics, you might start thinking of someone special in your own life. That alone will have you coming back to ‘2 Sides of the Lake’. This song is very easy to listen to and play back over and over. Lastly, the chorus brings everything together. Rest your weary head, my love.

The sound quality and overall production does not leave much to be desired, no complaints from us! Causey chose a minimalistic beat that allowed him to showcase his lyrics without many distractions. You have no choice but to listen to the words. Shoutout to the producer Thanksrayray.

 

Final Thoughts

Overall, this song is a gem. If ‘2 Sides of the Lake’ is an example of what we can expect on the rest of AJ Causey’s album Roll The Dice, then sign me up! Like we already said, Causey knows what he’s doing in the studio and has the pen game to match. Aries Kae was the perfect feature for the vibe of the track and she did her thing! This is a great track to add to your Hip-Hop playlist alongside greats like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Isaiah Rashad, Westside Boogie, and other artists that pride themselves on lyrics and storytelling. Stream Roll The Dice now!

 

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