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REVIEW – DERIN FALANA RETURNS WITH A NEW THREE-SONG EP TITLED GOOD PROBLEMS

Derin Falana

Derin Falana has returned from his hiatus with a brand new EP Good Problems and new luxurious visuals for the title track.

Toronto rapper and singer Derin Falana returns to the limelight after releasing his three-song EP, Good Problems. After taking a break from releasing music over the COVID-19 pandemic, the EP comes after being on the cover of Spotify’s Northern Bars playlst. Since his last release, he decided to travel during the pandemic, eventually landing in Italy with the Adidem Asteriks collective, where they shot the visual for title track on the project.

Known for his EP releases such as Live from Rocky Mountain and Don’t Save MeDerinamassed a big following through his music and has received critical acclaim from those releases from the likes HotNewHipHop, Complex, FADER, Pigeons and Planes, Greenleaf (Oprah Winfrey Network) and Ebro Darden’s show on Beats One [Apple Music.

When listening to the EP, the first song, “Good Problems”, starts with a vibrant, sample-type beat that delivers more of an authentic, West Coast vibe. Falana’s lyricism is unmatched through his impeccable flow and his creative metaphors and punchlines, especially through the production’s exquisite, chill, and layered drum patterns. Taking place in Italy, the visuals show a full view of Falana standing on top of a villa as he raps about people falling off due to their content and sound, his braggadocious and lavish lifestyle, and receiving the blessings that he’s earned since his fame and rise to success. If you’re into artists like Larry June, Dom Kennedy, Cordae and/or Joey Bada$$, then this song is for you.

On “One Too Many”, the R&B ballad opens with a unique vocal melody from Falana that brings much charisma paired with dope composition and songwriting. While there is autotune in some parts of the song (perhaps a draw back for some listeners), the remarkable production comes through effortlessly as the bridge’s layered style with the vibrant drums lingering in the background echoes smoothly. Yet again, Falana speaks more about his successes in life and his day-to-day activities while detailing the opportunities and advantages that he’s blessed with.

The last track, “Feeling Like Me”, follows with a bouncy, refined, West Coast/Bay Area influenced type of production as Falana speaks more on falling back to bad habits and letting certain things influence him negatively. He further explains that he’s dealing with many issues in life and he wants to gain healthy relationships, but his habits keep him from becoming the best he can be. What’s also interesting is the elegant background vocals from the unnamed female vocalist that comes through well and echoes clearly, yet softly, through the production.

Derin Falana’s brand-new EP, Good Problems, is available on all streaming platforms. The visuals for “Feeling Like Me” and “One Too Many” will be coming soon.


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