• Artist: Ben-Sity
• Track: Could It Be
• Producer: Xcel
• Album: High Five Club

I hereby decree not only that the word ‘swagger’ has been banned from the hip-hop lexicon, but that the creator and all pushers of said word shall be sent into the farthest reaches of outer space. Cool? As a result, we might see Space, Rush and Sino – collectively know as Ben Sity – shooting for the stars on their thesis-driven new single, Could It Be. On top of the drum and bass-heavy work of producer Xcel’s bouncy beat, the childhood friends sound comfortable and adept at spitting rhymes, but seem to only aim for the moon as far as subject matter is concerned. While the record could be hit on a local scale, the Chicago quartet must take the lead of neighbors Mikkey Halsted and Bump J in regard to how not to position oneself in the forget-me-fast world of rap music. With The High Five Club coming out at the top of the year, this high-flying group may have swagger, but the question will remain – what else?