As Victor Mariachi notes in “Lost One,” songs about trials and tribulations can often be cliché. But that doesn’t stop the Mexican-American rapper from unloading a lifetime’s worth of misfortunes and misgivings on the head-nodding cut taken from his Telenovela mixtape, released last fall. The style here is classic East Coast boom bap that should bring a nostalgic smile to any old head pining for the so-called golden era of rap. Still, before you disregard Vic’s approach as the byproduct of another time and place, make sure to bump this track a couple of times. His bars are on point, his cadence compact and smooth. So, yeah, while his aesthetic may have some wear on it, his flow remains fresh and worth hearing out.

Directed by Sebastian Anderson of Shutterstinct Productions, the low-key video forgoes any semblance of flash for a single continuous shot of Victor Mariachi rapping and making his way through a house party. Except for the occasional soft glow of color (especially scenes washed in red or green), the dark lighting makes it a little difficult to make out the action, which helps bolster the hazy, late-night atmosphere a typical house party would entail. As visuals go, it’s a too little cut and dry for my taste, but I still suggest you give it a look.

More Info
Bandcamp: victormariachi.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @victormariachi
SoundCloud: @victor-mariachi
Twitter: @VictorMariachiX