Stream: Wave Mmlz – Alexander Decatur

Unless you’re from Las Vegas it could be hard to comprehend the exact nature of how city locals split their regions until you meet someone with undivided pride for their section. More often than not, in Vegas, the most passionate of the group of them are gonna be those from North Las Vegas, or Norf Town as it’s known affectionately to those from there. Known for being one of the first developed areas for locals in Las Vegas, the section has been growing in size while doubling down on it’s roots. Hailing from the area, rising rapper Wave MMLZ has been a notable name from that area for quite some time now. Looking to pay homage to his home, he showcases his pride for his region on his new project, Alexander Decatur.

Clocking in at 20-minutes, the project’s short run time end up playing in it’s favor, as the listener might find themselves running through it 2–3 times before realizing they had even finished. The main reason for that notion falls in the hands of production, mostly helmed by Wave himself with help from names like Trade Voorhees, Lyfe Serel and a few others. Sticking to an obvious North Star that guided the sound he wanted to encompass the project, each track feels like it belongs next to the other without sounding the exact same. For example, on, “ETA,” we get Wave spitting bravado raps over eerie synths and dusty drum kicks in calm manner right before guest feature Chuck Brilliant turns the song upside down on it’s head. On, “Zipcode,” we get a similar structure as we get Zen Wave over dusty drums with an energetic clean up verse from Caterpillar Jones, only this time, he kicks the nervous feeling that anchored the aforementioned track and instead opts for nostalgia and energy, providing an different form, albeit more affective, of energy than his more upbeat guests.

In all, Alexander Decatur serves as Wave coming into his own as a complete artist. With a body of work that already includes a few local classics, this project has the potential to become the one that sees him break through on a more macro level. Take a listen to the project below and get familiar with Wave MMLZ.