I’ve been hurt
I’ve been killed
I’ve been broken
I rebuilt
I’ve been empty
I refilled
I re upped
Okay, I’m reloaded
I will not lose
– Chando
“Noah Sims speaks with urgency, but does so in the most subtle of ways. Downbeats echo as they anxiously snap into place; synths buzz restlessly atop ethereal soundscapes. On “Hawaii,” from Sims’ debut Testament LP, the Chicago producer tells a story of strange pasts and promising futures without speaking a word. Welcome to “Hawaii”… The song moves frantically but with an overlaying sense of acceptance and ease. Hurt Everybody and Beach Jesus tell free form stories: corpses get handshakes; pretty girls turn to visages; yearbooks are shredded; blood is drank freely at happy hour. It’s an eerie, surreal affair, but one that Sims commands with unflinching nerves. “Don’t stress, it’s a celebration,” a moody Carl delivers in the song’s second verse. Proceed accordingly…” – Steven Goldstein
Strong flex til I pop somethin’
Strong flex til she pop somethin’
Long text and the explanation
Strong flex and some levitation
Don’t stress, it’s a celebration
– Carl
The official roll out for Testament by Noah Sims begins with “Hawaii,” premiered via Fake Shore Drive. It’s an emotional and uniquely structured song that brings together post-rap band, Hurt Everybody, and Baroque Dream-Hop quartet, Beach Jesus, for their first collaborative release. This song demonstrates Chicago working together all the way around; “Hawaii” is one of the only tracks on Testament where Sims co-produced; here with Jarofmy and Seer of Beach Jesus. The track musically reunites Carl with former Supreme Regime band mate, Jommis aka Jessiath. This is the second collab for Sims with Supa Bwe and Hurt Everybody, he produced “Snake Charmer” from their I Know Where The Light Goes EP. Visual artist and musician Abel Gray made the cover art. The song was recorded at Hurt Everybody Studios and Classick Studios, and was mixed and mastered by Chris Classick.
On a personal note, I’m proud of my son Noah and his debut project – I’m excited to write this. Testament has been long in the making. Several months back Noah released GodBody , a track from the project, featuring long time comrade, Roosevelt The Titan, to announce the LP. The next single, “She Gets The Best Of Us,” features Tree and drops on October 6. Until then, let the “sun-soaked, paranoid opening lines of a young man’s Testament seep into your head.”
Fuck all these charges the judge is a liar
Cause I know the laws to a nuance
I don’t have time for this
Dig out my yearbook and rip out my picture like coupons
Please get me outa here
– Supa Bwe
Trying to make sense of the way that I grow
And the people I know that don’t do fine
I am the soup and the blood of your Christ
I’m the one that you drink after noon time
It’s five o’clock somewhere
– Jommis
