While the drop was a surprise, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that A-Reece would put out a complete (although concise) project that’s an ode to smoking weed on April 20th (4/20) (case in point). Now, the project in this discussion is cheekily titled, The Burning Tree EP.
Boasting 9 tracks, the EP is an immersive indulgence on the art of smoking weed, but also a discernible sparring session for Reece to sharpen his pen and flow. The production is handled largely by Baby Boy’s new and trusted affiliate, IceMan Beatz, who produced A-Reece and Jay Jody’s Bluetape collaboration album in its entirety. Michael Tuohy, SorryZeke & Logical Rhymez handle the rest of the production.
Throughout the EP, A-Reece shares soliloquies about his penchant for weed and how it relates to his entire lifestyle. On the meditative “SATIVA FOR MY SANITY”, he interpolates and reimagines the chorus to Ahmed’s song “Back In The Day” to create a sativa anthem, singing “Soon as i wake I tell myself that I won’t smoke anymore, the next day I’m with my niggas burning spliffs again …”
Despite the mellow nature of the EP, Reece still finds time to take jabs. On “PICTURE ME ROLLING”, he launches an attack to his perceived opps, rapping, “You can not critique the form/ Your favorite rapper needs to put his best foot forward/ Better yet, tell your favorite rapper I can write his best verse for him/ Uhh! You can not afford to wage war/ You’re still in the training course/ I was a major tool in creating the wave they’re on/ They study the way I move, maybe I should create a course/ Of course/ I’m on track on every track, them niggas is off course…”
Regardless of it being a one dimensional project with a singular focus, The Burning Tree EP is a compelling project that continues to illustrate Reece’s rapping aptitude. The features are exciting, with the likes of usual suspects Jay Jodi and IMP contributing, as well as seasoned veteran emce Maggz and new sensation 25K. Despite the change of production, moving from MashBeatz to iCEman Beatz predominantly, Reece hasn’t lost his footing. He still churns out music at a high frequency and he seemingly still enjoys rapping.
Listen to A-Reece’s The Burning Tree EP for 4/20 here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL59A-gtHbBD8vq4T4JcJFhP-DHGHqnXk6
