On the eve of September, 23-year-old south Minneapolis artist Huhroon (Haroon Rasheed) released his earnest newest single. The track “PEPPERMYNT” reveals his gradual evolution from the old school hip-hop and rap that was seen in his debut release, “HAPPYBDAYHAROON,” to a minty fresh alternative hip-hop sound that stands in a category of its own.
The song opens with a slick guitar riff and chronicles an internal dialogue of self-doubt that’s mirrored in the music. “It captured what I was feeling in the moment; It’s easy to be your biggest critic, sometimes you feel like you are forever to be miscast as one of those people who have so much potential but never put it all together.” Huhroon says about the first verse.
As the beat drops, there’s a sudden confidence in his words as the setting shifts. Huhroon is now speaking to a lover as they dance together, feeling like they’re pumped on love and novocaine. He’s caught in an attempt to make the moment last forever, “the world can be so lonely sometimes and when special bonds or love happen, we pray we don’t lose each other because once you feel like you’ve found your kindred spirit, you never want to let them go.”
The candid and thoughtful lyrics (that stem from his past experience as a poet) run through a vibrant sonic landscape: Carefree without being careless. The end of the song takes another direction as it fades away with gentle guitar picking.
The track was produced by Zakariya Khan (Honeybutter, Papa Mbye, 80purppp) and mastered by Alec Ness (Dua Saleh, Why Not, Andrew Broder), who bring a masterful mix of electronic, hip-hop and rock elements to complement Huhroon’s signature auto-tuned voice.
With a catalog of songs dating back to 2019, Huhroon and his team are working on fleshing out a project that will include music and a poetry collection that will likely see the light in the coming winter months. For now, “PEPPERMYNT” is just a preview of what’s coming from Huhroon.
