“Young suave man with an attitude.”

Corbin Butler is a producer and rapper from the Southern California suburb of Chino Hills, California. He also is one fourth of DMV based Hip-Hop collective $urreal (the LA representative); a group of best friends and Howard University graduates. His father was a DJ, while his mother had an exceptional taste in music during college, leading him to inherit an exquisite vinyl collection at a young age — which included artists such as Marvin Gaye, Roy Ayers, Curtis Mayfield and Michael Franks amongst others. He has been into all aspects of music since sixth grade.

The project was produced with Aygs Benedict, a talented guitarist and bass player. Corbin decided to name it Rolling Ridge, after an elementary school in the Inland Empire. His sound can be described as high energy, Alternative-Conscious Hip-Hop. Just from reading his tracklist, the song names are intriguing for their interesting names and styling.

“Now I that I have graduated I am getting back to my SoCal roots, while still currently enjoying the DMV lifestyle. Rolling Ridge was produced with my good friend Aygs Benedict, he is a very skilled guitarist and can even pick up a bass and thrash, he’s the man. I don’t collab with too many people the way I ever have with him, I think we’re on to something, And its a different experience because Ive known this dude for years, since like 3rd grade! haha Its crazy how life works , Rolling ridge is badass! YEAH!”

– Corbin Butler, the Rolling Ridger.

Rolling Ridge, a  mixtape with seventeen tracks, begins with “OWNBOOMBABOOM” an intro filled with electric guitar riffs with minor piano melodies. It transitions to “23”, where he mentions his frustration with the police. There is a constant reiteration of “Nobody loves you when you’re 23, what’s my age again.” “NEVER HAPPEN 4U” where he gets personal about his experiences of growing up in Chino Hills. Helloteezy makes an appearance towards the end to complement his alternative tones with acoustic accents. “HONEYBERRYBACKWOOD” is one of his less aggressive songs with bass undertones.

Butler transitions to a heavier bass and high hat presence with “BOUND 4”. He picks up speed with the help of fellow Chino Hills producer Beatnet in “FLAGS”.”DOWHATULIKE” incorporates jazz for a chill setting as Corbin wants you to focus on yourself and do what you like. In “HITTHAT” pianos are utilized to provide a platform for a romantic storyline as he asks “Can I hit that?”. Eddy Baker‘s verse adds brings honesty from a different perspective. “GOODBUSINESS” features fellow $urreal member and DC native OC and both artists create a fiery flow.

“5THPOCKET” has a dark aura where he tries to create a fearful environment. He does not want to be misunderstood for his age. The organs in “MERCI” create a space for pleas to be made. Corbin wonders who is really down in “SUNNYBROOK” where he preaches the message of holding yourself down. “2HOT” uses an organic old-school hip-hop beat made by VNIMVL to incorporate hip-hop heads into the mix. “CHINOUNIFIEDSD FLAWCALL” features some similarities to Outkast. He recalls his middle and high school encounters. This track proves to be relatable for a lot of high school graduates and dropouts.

“ENERGIZER” recounts incidents about a mystery woman. Hubby bar hops on the track to supplement a viewpoint on a similar occurrence. “GETIN” returns to his heavy Alternative sound and subject matter. Rolling Ridge ends with “SING2U” as Corbin teams back up with Helloteezy for a lively conclusion. Corbin’s beat choices complement each track well. He finds a way to include conscious references in almost every song. His features add unique twists to his Alternative beats.

Rolling Ridge is truly an amazing work.