“2nd Nature” is the latest project from South Florida rapper Christian Santiago a.k.a. Cthekon (pronounced C-The-Kon) and a follow-up to his breakout 2014 mixtape “Recognize the Truth”. With production handled entirely by Airtime Division, “2nd Nature” is a 16-track affair, with its two guest performers – June B and Dope (a.k.a. Joni Waka) handling hook duties.
This album was my first introduction to Cthekon, and from his opening track, the appropriately-titled weed anthem “Smoke 1”, I found myself drawn towards his multi-syllabic lyrical style. As a fan of rappers who’ve used this style, like MF Doom, Elzhi, Pharoahe Monch and, of course, Eminem, I was hooked from the words “Roll up like a skateboarder / If she slips off the pole, hope my nuts don’t bust” onward.
As you may have gathered from that couplet, yes, there is a raunchy sense of humour on that track, and throughout the album as well. I wouldn’t consider it playful, but it does add character and personality to “2nd Nature”. On “Smoke 1” in particular, this humour ranges to downright ridiculous (“finding some cash in the bathroom to wipe my ass”) to “Okay, what just happened there?” territory (“Time out. Wait a minute. Hold up. Is that your car in the back of the tow truck? No, but…”).
Additionally, Cthekon has a knack for effortlessly flowing with the tempo and vibe of each instrumental allotted to him, whether it’s the piano-driven melody of “Smoke 1” or the energetic, hi-hat-stuttering beat of the title track. On “2nd Nature”, and on tracks in the second half of the album like “Tendency” and “Serious Skills”, Cthekon puts his lyrical prowess front and center for listeners to absorb and appreciate. One particular couplet on the third verse of “2nd Nature” truly sums up the mindset of Cthekon: “I’m a different breed, givin’ it to you willingly / Like even this can be an unconscious activity”. Why that couplet stood out to me personally is because I found Cthekon’s lyrical delivery to exhibit a stream-of-consciousness vibe to it, as if words are flowing freely from his subconscious to his mouth and eventually into your ears.
I was very impressed by the diversity of “2nd Nature” with regards to its subject matter. While you do get bangers like “Drinkerz” and “Tendency” (two of my favourite tracks on the album), hustler motivation joints like “I God It” and Goin’ n’ Goin’” and boastful songs like “Serious Skills” and the aforementioned “2nd Nature”, there are a few life motivation tracks like the laid-back, G-funk-esque “Faith”, the heavenly “M.O.M.” (Manifestation of a Miracle) and the futuristic, energetic “Back 2 the Future” (which, by the way, was a GREAT closer to the album).
What truly surprised me on the album were the ‘softer’ and ‘abstract’ cuts. We get four R&B-flavoured tracks, two of which have hooks provided by June B and Dope. “Work It”, which has both a smooth, sensual beat and a great hook from June B, is essentially Cthekon’s take on the classic T-Pain joint “I’m in Luv (with a Stripper)”, interjected with tons of charisma and bits of witty humour (“I’ll make you open up….no door key/ She was like “Lil C, you so dorky”). I do wish June had a bigger presence on the track (like some vocalizing, an outro or even a verse of his own), and I can say the same thing for Dope and his contribution on “Let’s Get Away”. On that track, we get two stories of sexual escapades involving Cthekon that – let’s just say – don’t play out the way you’d expect.
“Creep W/U” is straight-up, unabashedly all about Cthekon’s ‘bedroom skills’. I dug the slight Miami Bass throwback vibe to the instrumental, along with Cthekon’s double-time flows which instantly reminded me of Twista’s slow jams (like “Slow Jamz”, “So Sexy” and “Overnight Celebrity”) from his 2004 album “Kamikaze”. My favourite of the four tracks, however, was “Babiez”, with its playful beat, catchy-as-hell hook (“My baby. She want a baby. I give her babiez”) and risqué, hilarious and highly entertaining take on PROCREATION! Honestly, it’s not every day one hears a rap song about good, old-fashioned baby-making!
With regards to the experimental cuts (both of whom appear successively on the album) – “Wonderz” and “Operater” (no, that’s not a typo) – I can imagine them getting a divisive response from listeners. Oddly enough, I’m in the camp that actually appreciates these tracks for what they are and the uniqueness they add to “2nd Nature”. On “Wonderz”, Cthekon compares Mother Earth to the object of his affection, a beautiful woman. What we get is a metaphorically ‘carnal’ journey of Mother Earth, and while it does sound weird on paper, this concept is executed quite well. “Operater” is the more abstract of the two, as Cthekon’s lyricism takes on a more dense, stream-of-consciousness approach. The key to comprehending this track is the line that opens and closes the song (“The closest friends I ever had was my pen and pad”). On “Operater”, he channels his innermost thoughts and ideas through his pen and pad, as if they’re the only ‘individuals’ that can make sense of what he’s thinking. It’s quirky and weird – and quite memorable.
If I have one gripe with “2nd Nature”, it’s that there could have been more guest stars, particularly a rapper or two to provide a verse or at least add another voice to the album. Outside of that, this was a pretty solid and highly enjoyable record. Airtime Division’s beats were solid across the board and Cthekon delivers on each one with varying themes, appropriate levels of energy in his performances, and a seemingly relentless lyrical flow throughout the entire project. In short, this is an absolute must-listen!
OVERALL RATING: Light to decent 4 out of 5 stars.
BESS TRACKS: Smoke 1, 2nd Nature, Drinkerz, Faith, Work It, Operater, Goin’ n’ Goin’, Tendency, Serious Skills, Babiez, Back 2 the Future
LEAST BESS TRACK: Let’s Get Away
BBB RADIO 