There has never been an era of popular music where Tennessee wasn’t a hotbed for talent. From Johnny Cash to Tina Turner and Three 6 Mafia, there’s always been something special about The Volunteer State, and that rings true for the modern day. The production style of the aforementioned Three 6 has become the industry standard in hip-hop, and the city still churns out stars left and right: Key Glock, Moneybagg Yo, and NLE Choppa have all emerged from Memphis to become marquee names in past years. With Why Look Up, God’s In The Mirror, Lukah is poised to do the same.

Lukah’s music sounds different then the typical Memphis rapper. His music has a vintage New York feel with its boom-bap drums and sample-heavy instrumentation, and his flows will remind some of rap revivalist kings Griselda (Boldy James even is featured, appearing on standout cut “STIGMATA”). The spirit of Memphis still runs through Lukah’s music, though. Songs like “ERMINE” with Estee Nack and “MEDITATE AND GRAVE” find him rapping on horrorcore samples that wouldn’t feel out of place on Mystic Stylez. Lukah’s excellent storytelling and steady flow on songs like “THE CONFLICT” and “THE SEINE” also harken back to another Southern legend, Scarface. That’s what makes Why Look Up… so good; it’s a combination of clearly honed technical skill on the mic with a combination of influences that make Lukah stand out.