Image via Jordan Munns //

The homegrown MC doesn’t disappoint on the debut record…

Hot off being announced for this year’s Splendour in the Grass, rising rapper Tasman Keith has today shared his debut album A Colour Undone, along with the visuals for lead single ‘TREAD LIGHT’.

The single, ‘TREAD LIGHT’, sees the homegrown MC complete the genre journey he’s undertaken in previous singles ‘HEAVEN WITH U’, ‘LOVE TOO SOON’ AND ‘5FT FREESTYLE’, the lyrical weapon cementing himself as a man of many sounds as he opts for a slow jazz and soul-filled beat to drop his lyrical utterances on. The surrounding saxophone and cascading piano line are somewhat reminiscent of the Marvin Gaye social commentary ‘What’s Going On’, the ‘Billy Bad Again’ rapper taking time to question the “sharks in the water” as he urges the listener to “watch your step”.

It makes the beat switch at 2:40 that much harder, the rapper going into OVERDRIVE as he embodies societal disillusion and the desire to overcome barriers, notably shown in the most hard-hitting bar of the song “turn our Stolen into golden”. As is usually the case with Tasman music videos, the visuals for the tune mirror the emotional journey of the sonics, utilising springtime surrounds for the more gentle parts of the song along with a dark scene with billowing smoke for the more fiery section following the beat switch.

The new video comes as the hip hop don today releases his debut album, A Colour Undone. Comprised of 14 intricate tracks ranging from hard-hitting hip hop to neo-soul and everything in between, the project is a valiant effort that cements the OG as a key figure in the Aussie music scene. From the funk-driven ‘WATCH UR STEP’ to the lyrical gunshot ‘CHEQUE’ ft. Genesis Owusu and whizzing balladry of ‘HEAVEN WITH U’ ft. Jessica Mauboy, there’s a little something for everyone in the debut record. It’s also got the substance to match should the listener so desires to further immerse themselves in its sonics, with Tasman himself explaining, “If you want to dig into what some of these songs mean on a deeper level, it’s there. But it’s not forcing you to do so.”

It looks like Tasman Keith has well and truly arrived. His debut album A Colour Undone is out now. You can buy/stream it here.