‘iseeangelnumbers’ ALBUM REVIEW by Rae Mariah
‘Iseeangelnumbers’ by 20 year old entrepreneur Clover, is a fresh, dynamic and, may I say, wild ride. After the first listen, you are completely immersed in an aura of psychedelic rap, alongside tracks you can't even categorize. As an artist, you might find that Clover has a similar sound to those associated with Opium Records, as the album opens with a track explicitly called ‘intro,’ a complete turnaround from his single 1942, dropped previous to the full album release. A repetitive yet affective alcohol anthem, ‘intro’ is like a plane takeoff, slowly building as Clover’s flow picks up speed. It immediately prepares you for the recollection of ups and downs in his life of drug use, love, and what it’s really like to be running things at such a young age. Throughout the album, Clover fights with himself in wonderance of whether love truly exists, or if all that exists is lust. He questions whether the drugs he's taking are immobilizing him, or if they’re the reason he's having so much fun, while simultaneously pondering whether life is worth living. In all, he’s left with one singular question, 'what am I doing all of this for?’
Clover has gained massive influence over party scenes and underground fashion, and has amassed a following of over 12k on social media platforms associated with his company Elevate, which hosts exclusive parties and fashion shows in LA. This has been super beneficial to the way Clover promotes his music, essentially providing an initial fan base upfront.
One of the most interesting things about the album is the verbalization of Clover’s internal struggles; like reading the journal of someone who has it all, but also knows what it's like to have nothing. He asks, ‘do the drugs even work’ in ‘intro,’ while on the track ‘222’ (one of the best tracks on the album in terms of cadence and lyrics), he says ‘maybe it's the lean, maybe it's the weed, maybe it's my dream.’ Throughout the album, he seems conflicted about whether each step he’s taking is the right one. However, there is constant inference towards the assumption that whatever he's doing must be working, as best expressed in ‘#youngrichgeeka’ where he states, “okay yeah i'm fly as shit, okay yeah look at my fit.’ Additionally, in his song ‘high as a bitch,’ he floats over a high octane beat while saying, ‘gotta admit i've been having it’ in reference to taking his girl on extravagant shopping sprees.
Note that this isn't the only time a girl is mentioned throughout the album. In the track ‘leo’ he goes back and forth with the idea of living and having something to live for, which is likely the said girl he seems to be unable to shake. He raps, “i wonder why i want to die’ which brings the listener right back to the question of whether life is worth living. As the album progresses he makes reference to the girl by saying ‘you never really loved me, had your hand on the door’ and a few lines later continues by saying ‘emotional support, do i love her of course, fuck of course’ essentially exposing the listener to another internal battle he has been facing, but knows he doesn’t want to face alone, or atleast not without said girl.
Another impeccable trait about the album ‘iseeangelnumbers’ would be the features, making both ‘elevate!’ and ‘down 222the wire’ standout tracks on the album. The track ‘elevate’ features one of Clover's best friends, upcoming rapper STC Dano. Throughout the song, they bounce back and forth between each other effortlessly, exchanging unmatchable energy on a potentially certifiable club hit. Track ‘down 222the wire’ features underground rapper and influencer WAZO Daveed, who, like with all his other music, manages to elevate the song simply by using a cadence and flow that dials in the listener. The most surprising aspect of these features would have to be that Clover managed to avoid being overshadowed by artists who each have thousands of streams under their belts.
Is the album perfect? No, not in the slightest. Some songs could be stronger lyrically ( i.e. ‘1942’ and ‘high as a bitch’), and some songs could be better sonically. However, given that this is his very first album, it's pretty impressive. Especially considering the majority of it was freestyled and made in a bedroom with his friends. All in all, we are fans and will continue watching his journey unfold. We recommend you do as well.