Zel Monstrous – Battles [Single]

Zel Monstrous, a young rhymesmith repping Crown Heights, teams up with beatmaker Bailey Daniel to drop “Battles,” a track that plunges into the trials and tribulations of life. This soulful hip hop number has Zel reflecting on everything from his military service to the pressure for stability, laying it all out there with barefaced coolness.

The beat is drenched in soul and layered with a slick jazz groove featuring punchy kick drums, sharp snares, and deep-rolling bass notes. That looping horn section sample is pure gold, with a loungy, jazzy vibe that’s slick as a freshly waxed box Chevy. And just when you really sink into the horn driven vibe, the beat switches up, drops out all but the lowest of low end tones, and gives Z‘s lines plenty of space to breathe.

With a layered, soulful quality, Zel’s voice flows like a well-aged bourbon – with a smooth finish and a fiery kick. His delivery is sharp and precise, never rushed, always cool and collected. There’s a tension simmering just beneath the surface, like a coiled spring, but he handles it with laid-back ease. He maintains this serene resolve in his flow, and you can feel a forward-looking positivity glimmering in every word he spits.

Zel’s confessional bars map out his life, each rhyme a snapshot of his highs and lows. “The things that I’ve seen and the battles I fought, and still fighting today/Lord wash me clean, I done made choices that come to life when I pray” he raps, giving a glimpse into his ongoing struggle for peace. With sharply etched details that carry the weight of battles fought and scars earned, his words pull you into the trenches of his past. But amid the struggle of it all his verses glint with the promise of a better life.

The beats and rhymes of “Battles” come together in a beautifully bittersweet mix that hits close to home – especially for those of us with our own library of life experiences to look back on. So press play, sink into the saga, and let Zel Monstrous’ rhymes remind you that life’s all about the striving and the shining.

Connect with Zel Monstrous via the links listed:
( Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Official_Site | Soundcloud | Spotify | Threads | TikTok | Twitter | YouTube )