Last Friday, rap group Canicule, originally formed by Quebec rappers Shreez, Tizzo, Le Ice and Soft, released BOYZ, a 16-track project with a bonus track. Nearly five years after Canicule, Vol.1, the protagonists return to the fray in the company of various collaborators such as Salgrimo, Peeda, YoAlain!, Chiko and Moto.
After several listens, the word that best describes Canicule’s latest opus is “progression”. BOYZ‘s flows, lyrics and overall vibe are more mature and light years ahead of 2019’s offering. The boys still represent the street and the lyrics are pretty similar, but they offer a more accessible sound than before. Let’s give credit to Alain, who brilliantly handles almost all the album’s production with diversified beats, allowing the various members to shine in their own way.
Of the lot, Shreez and Tizzo offer the best BOYZ moments. Montrealer Salgrimo comes into his own with some fine verses, notably on “Prix” and “Risk”. BOYZ is far from flawless, but one of the album’s strengths is undoubtedly the chemistry between the various rappers. The different artists’ segments flow brilliantly, and you get the feeling that the tracks are the fruit of real teamwork.
BOYZ‘s opening track packs a punch; the sequence of “Croise les doigts”, “PDNA”, “Fais vite” and “Piloter” is certainly the most interesting. After this trap start, the tracks become increasingly varied, ranging from more melodic rap to drill at times. Towards the two-thirds mark, the tracks become somewhat repetitive. It’s hard to listen to the whole thing in one go without feeling a certain redundancy. The collective would certainly have benefited from more selectivity on this project.
