Review: Demonstration II - @OnlyBisi

It's only right that a Demonstration has a sequel. OnlyBisi returns to the mic bringing us Demonstration II. If it's anything like the first one, we could expect a concept and story to go along with various styles of music. Bisi takes on many subgenres of R&B. Some more modern than others but sometimes his voice sounds like he was born 20 years too late.

Bisi opens Demonstation II on an upbeat note. Wishlist us reminiscent to the cadence and pace of the first project. He's talking greasy on Wishlist. It's rough sex, in a song. Reminds of something CB circa 2009, Fan of Fan mixtape.

Designer is a trap song also about sex. He's rapping but his voice is still melodic. It's eloquent in a way. instead of cursing they've engineered a woman's moan in place. What's equally impressive is the beat is complimented by Bisi playing acoustic himself. It ends with a skit conversation between Bisi and MyNameIsJeph plotting their night. Bisi gets a call from his old thing that lives on Clinton ave that he plans on pulling up on. That leads into the next song, Change This. Change This feels like a sequel to Happy 4 U from the first Demonstration. 

"Together or not you still my baby girl, together or not you still mean the world, to me sincerely I say this, we not together but that don't really change this."

On a production front, this is my favorite track. A piano chord progression means twerk drums. Think Master P's Choppa Style meets R&B. Bisi demonstrates his skill singing harmony with his own voice. I think the lyrics to the hook speaks for themselves. That doesn't bode well for the current lady in his life. The track ends in a voicemail from her crying. She's reached her limit. While she pleads over the phone, it transitions beautifully into track four, Don't Leave. 

This is where Bisi is in his bag. He's an excellent ballad writer. We'll talk more about this and the nature of R&B in our interview coming soon. The project ends with What If? It's her response to him asking her not to leave him even though he's hurt her. This is excellent songwriting because not only does Bisi speak from his perspective but the woman's as well. He ends the song with a beautiful spoken word. The prose is a nice touch as the track fades out. He asks a question I think we all should ask ourselves in relationships: "Was another woman's flesh enough for me to disrespect my rib?" The bassline and acoustic pair very well together. This is a conversation that has probably happened to the best of us so it's giving us all the feels for sure. It's really honest without being specific in a way. As far as this relationship we're left with a question mark. What a journey in such a little bit of time. Perhaps it'll be answered in the next project. OnlyBisi's gotten a lot off considering his discography can be listened to in its entirety in less than 40 minutes. For now, listen to Demonstration II below.

Review: Demonstration EP by @OnlyBisi (words by @RamseySaidWHAT)

OnlyBisi is probably one of the artists I've been most critical of since first listening to his music. You can ask him he'll tell you. It's only because of how great I knew he could be.

To this point in his discography he's been a blend of all the music I listened to in college when I was jumping from dorm to dorm running around chasing whatever girl I was into at the time. His new project is the culmination. No one was more excited for this project than I. Especially following up his work on the hook for David Michael Jonze's Shea Butter earlier this year. Demonstration is many things. The songwriting is mature, direct, sometimes vulgar. If you told him he'd remind you that his music isn't written for you, it's for her. Whoever she is, she'll love it. Let's get to it.

The project takes us through a phone conversation between Bisi and the young lady he's dating. I think the skits through a high-pass filter gave the project some character and it was very well mixed. The introduction starts with a guitar chord progression that will continue in the next track, Throw It Back. His lover expresses how complex of a man Bisi is in a way any man would love his woman to speak to him. I'm almost jealous. The aforementioned lead single blends through with an added 808 kick and bassline to join the acoustic. Throw It Back would sound fire with a Jersey Club remix treatment. I could see it now at all the parties, a straight movie I'm telling you.

Bisi takes things in his own hands as his name is on every production credit on the album. If it wasn't self produced and a live guitar arrangement (yes, he plays the strings too), LehkzTheVamp is the only name on for a production assist. Priorities and Happy 4 U are the meat and potatoes of this. I'm not sure how my girl would feel about me writing a song to an ex but if I ever did it'd sound like this. This is the most grown up conversation between exes I've ever heard. I could see this playing in an episode of Insecure between Issa and Lawrence. The Game Plan is wild. I'll leave it at that. You gon' have to listen for yourself to see what that means. You already saw what I had to say about the So Wet video earlier this week. I think it serves a good ending of the project.

Long story short, if Demonstration came out in 2011 I may or may not have a few children running around. His voice is unique, he's not afraid to take chances. On top of that he's a superb songwriter and will fallsetto like a G (whatever that means). He kills it when he goes for it, stank face guaranteed. The skits put you in the room. It's so realistic. I'd play this project in a quiet moment with shorty but it's running time is only 15 minutes. I might need a little longer than that (I'm talking about the music, ya nasty). If I were DJ'ing a sex set I'd play songs from Trey Songz's Anticipation, 12 Play, Would You Mind by Ms. Jackson followed by anything off Demonstration. This is the best Bisi yet and I know it'll get better. Seven tracks is enough to hold me to the next release. I need y'all to feel this.

You can grab this on Apple Music and Tidal today.