Lay made himself known to the world by debuting as a member of Exo in 2012. He was a part of their Chinese sub-unit, EXO-M, who sang EXO songs in Mandarin Chinese. It was here where he shined as one of EXO's main dancers and also had his moments where he showcased his singing and rapping skills. As a member of K-Pop's biggest groups, Lay proved could do anything. This made him a perfect candidate for solo activities. His solo stuff is where he really explored his roots and made his skills shine. From the beginning of his solo career to now, he mixed traditional Chinese instrumentals with modern hip-hop sounds and made it all work. On his latest EP, East, he's once again taking it all on and proving he's a king of the East.
East spans only four tracks but each one is spectacular in every way. The title track, Flying Apsaras, opens it all up with a powerful traditional instrumental that features some traditional vocals. Lay comes in almost instantly and whisks you away with his chill vocals over a powerful beat. It then builds to a powerful drop that makes your brain explode. It's surprising which makes it a great opener. The second track, Samadhi Real Fire is where his skills as a rapper shine. It is Real Fire as he talks about being a living legend all over a wild beat. This song is guaranteed to make you feel like a certified bad-ass for sure. His rap skills continue on Ascetic Monk which features a more low-key instrumental but his skills are still on point. The Shepard Boy closes it all out as he sings over a pretty flute. This slow song is a great way to bring it all home and relax after all the fire that was given before it.
Lay is really proving he is a King of China by blending his Chinese roots into a modern hip-hop tune. East whisks you away on a journey from beginning to end. You get so lost in the sounds that you don't realize only 15 minutes went by. His skills are at a prime now and East really proves it. It will be intriguing to see where he will go next with this sound.
You can check out East on your preferred streaming service!
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