In today’s age, technology has flooded our lives with content. Caught in the mire are modern musicians who champion an art form that’s more widely distributed than any other throughout human history. And we, more often than not, overlook the music created by unfamiliar faces because it’s challenging. We’d rather have an easy listen, a known quantity to skim through while we think about something else.
Hearing is easy, but listening is difficult. Welcome to “Why We Like It”, where we rebuke the trends in favor of thoughtful analysis and underknown sounds.
“Paro” — Leo MiyageeParo' (feat. The Main Event)
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How We Found It
Coming from the UK and teaming up with Irish producers The Main Event and Moon Paw Print, Leo Miyagee’s latest single “Paro” is the follow up to his 2019 EP Inner City Blues, Act 1: Karate Kid. His first ever SubmitHub pitch was sent to our portal and made an immediate impression.
Why We Like It
Lately I’ve been passive/ Guess I’m massive on diplomacy/ Miyagee the apologist/ Miyagee wanna politic/ Miyagee wanna shoot the breeze.” – Leo Miyagee, “Paro.”
“Paro” is stripped-back and honest in such a calculated way, in that Leo is able to express harsh self-criticism in poetry. The technical elements to his rhymes are flawless, the way he folds his schemes together is nothing short of stellar, but that’s not where the lyrics shine most. Miyagee takes a third person perspective to explore vulnerabilities, learning about his character as the track progresses. This journey of self-acknowledgement comes to a head in the second verse where Miyagee compares the extra-conscious perspective to his own sense of self.
“No more hiding/ We ain’t hiding/ Ride or die for my beliefs,” Leo raps as he details his self-acceptance. Sincerity can be difficult to communicate through music, or through lyrics alone but Miyagee is able to achieve it with the help of a vocal delivery that lets all emotion lay bare. Every crack in his voice is felt and contributes to the track’s tone more than the content itself. Miyagee’s stage is set by a melancholy piano loop and drums that perfectly set the song’s pace without overbearing the track and forcing a head-bopping rhythm down the listener’s throat. The Main Event and Moon Paw Print simply allow Leo to dictate the track, introducing instrumental flourishes to accentuate his flow. “Paro” details someone dealing with the stress that comes with being uniquely relatable, yet flawed, while offering an alternative to anyone suffering in a similar way.
From Leo Miyagee
Paro is slang for paranoid, so in relation to the content, my friend is living a life that has him paranoid, in contrast to me. When I heard the beat I loved it and how different it was. It sounded like the emotions I felt seeing someone I grew up with the situation I detail in the song and that’s how I was able to make the content and beat match. It sort of just happened.” – Leo Miyagee for CentralSauce (2020)
More From Leo Miyagee
Catch up with Leo Miyagee’s back catalogue with the aforementioned Inner City Blues, Act 1: Karate Kid EP as well as his 2019 full-length album Ffdlc. You can stay up to date with Leo’s music on Twitter.
More to Discover
Subscribe to the CentralSauce mailing list so you never miss out on the freshest sauce. Check out this continuously updated playlist of songs Ryan has added to our Discovery section! Each track or artist has been featured in our “Why We Like It” section, so be sure to check out the page here on the site.
