Taking The Passenger Seat in Femdot's '94 Camry

For many, their first car was also a segue to other life-defining experiences. Suddenly the universe doesn't end around the block or wherever the bus stops running. Moves you wouldn't make before become easy 15-minute trips.

In '94 Camry Music,' Femdot lets us in the passenger seat of his old whip and shares the adventures and lessons learned in it. Threaded by his astute lyricism and unapologetic realism, his latest EP is a candid depiction of a young Chicagoan navigating life. His first car wasn't only a vehicle that took him all over the city, but a capsule of a moment that formed who he is today. 

The project rewards multiple listens. There's a lot more weight hearing Fem talk about his love for his friends in "Hot Lunch" after you're able to trace it back to a similar line on the outro track, "Snuck To Matty's," which recounts a traumatizing experience at a party-turned-fatal-fight. Elsewhere, hovering at just under three minutes, "Late Night Run" sheds its superficially simple call-and-response when it shifts gear in the second half of the track, for a more nuanced transition to the EP's more somber end.

An immensely talented emcee, the sticky chorus in the EP's eponymous track is where you'll find Femdot's most significant strides as a songwriter. We all know he can build worlds within his verses, but here he's making them more memorable to sing along to.

Now, back to the immensely talented lyricist part. In "Rap City," he holds his own against Smino over Ambi Lyrics production -an understated feat considering Smi's run of form in 2019." Happy Break-Up Song" is a poignant record about accepting the end of a relationship, and his delivery makes it hard to shake the sense that you're spying on an extremely personal call.

The EP comes in the middle of his first national tour opening for Tobi Lou. If he continues to release this type of material, you'll see this hometown hero headline his own sold-out shows across the states sooner than you think.