Rome Montana - Self-Medication (self-released)
I recently got a chance to check out local emcee Rome Montana’s EP. Even though it was short (6 tracks), for what his direction is, it's definitely worth a listen. I had never heard of him before now, but he has gained himself a listener. Self Medication takes you on a short journey through punch lines and hot beats which he uses to medicate himself.
The first track, which is also the title track to this EP, is a track where he states “too much hate, too much envy, most can’t love, my heart’s empty.” You can get a lot of meanings out of this phrase; what I got is that so much is going on in his world that it has made him a cold person. The next track is called “Erekted." On it, he describes how much bigger he is than people that say they have money and are making more moves than him. Even though the title is spelled differently than “Erected” you can still get the point of where he was going.
“Cali Weed” is my favorite song on the EP. Montana tells listeners to keep going with your dreams and to not lose sight of their goals. He does this by going in the studio with a beat and some Cali Weed. So far his direction in the EP is going very well, with substance in his songs and ideas. The next song, “Break Up,” samples Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do”. It’s a short song mainly directed to the female audience. He’s just telling the ladies to come and chill with him and “break up”--not talking about separation of a relationship, either. “Pushing Wood” is a track that uses puns to explain that Montana never said he was gangster, or tried to be anything he is not. He says he wishes they “wood” try to test him. “Body Traces” is the outro and just warns people that he’s coming in the game and he’s not letting anyone stop him--the title is what anyone who tries will become.
Overall I enjoyed the EP. I would have wanted a little more from it, but Montana gave just enough to make me wonder what’s next for him. From what I can see, Rome Montana has a pretty big following and is paving his way in the RVA. Keep an ear out for him.