Rochester: Balance
The highly-touted rapper is off to a flying start with this new cut, racking up impressive streaming numbers. He delivers thoughtful lines with authority, while subtly inventive production lends a soothing ambience.
By Kerry Doole
Rochester - "Balance" (Blocktrade Music Inc.): This Toronto-based rapper has been tipped as one to watch on the Six scene for a while now. He certainly has peer respect, as shown by the earlier collaborations with Kardinal Offishall, Fito Blanko, and Grammy-winning producer Boi 1da (Drake, Kendrick Lamar).
His 2016 EP Cowabunga was well-received, and new cut "Balance" deserves serious attention. Rochester delivers lines like "how do you know it's sweet if you've never tasted sour. You've just got to find a balance" with vigorous authority atop well-selected beats.
It is the inventive production that grabs the ear here. The sounds of piano and mellow jazzy guitar are audible under the beats, lending a soothing ambience to proceedings. An ideal balance indeed.
Rochester explained in a recent interview with HipHopCanada that "I wrote the song when I was overwhelmed with everything going on in my life. I was trying to find the balance between my music and my family, and it’s challenging to keep up with all of life’s demands when you demand so much of yourself for a better future. I hope listeners feel inspired and motivated by my message in the song – find the balance and keep moving.”
The single broke 100K+ streams in just under a week of its release and is listed on many top-performing playlists on Spotify and Apple Music. Word is the emcee is recording new music in LA. We eagerly await the results.
Rogers Stadium during a rainy walkthrough in 2025.Courtesy Photo