Fresh off a very busy 2022, Rising Star of the West Coast Canadian Hip Hop Scene Matt “Sirreal” Dunae continues his assault on 2023 (which already includes three new music videos) with an emphatic statement. “If they want it they can have it, we been puttin’ in the work, it’s Automatic.”
Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Swollen Members alum Rob The Viking, “Automatic” is a lyrically textured, smash you in the mouth slice of braggadocio, laced with clever punchlines and also profound substance and conscious vibes. All three MCs bring razor sharp bars to the head-banging, subwoofer thumping beat designed to get adrenaline and fists pumping wherever this joint is blasting – whether in the car, the club or should a crowd be lucky enough to catch all 3 on the same bill, on stage.
Shot in Vancouver, this Lotus Eaters Films production is a cinematic feast, jumping from picturesque rooftops to vibrantly colored, graffiti-plastered back alleyways. The underlying theme of the chorus is bolstered by the unique verses and playful energy of the video, co-directed by Lotus Eaters’ Colby Rex O’Neil and Michael Debarros. Prevail, Moshiri and Sirreal all come from deep hip hop roots, with a long list of accomplishments too numerous to name, but at the end of the day, Automatic serves as a reminder to true fans of the genre that at the core of the culture is a very simple principle – if you step up to the mic you best be ready to be on the same level as the other MCs in the cypher. Automatic reminds us of those golden days of 90s and 2000s Rap when your favorite rappers would frequently crossover for star-studded posse collabs that you just had to hear and share with fellow heads.
Prevail grabs the mic first and lulls the listener into a false sense of casualness as he eases into his first few bars with that signature smooth, mellow, laid back style and some confidently delivered wordplay punchlines. Then with a jarring spin on the video he comes flying at the camera and the mic with a vicious flurry of bars to back up his claim that there “Aren’t many Triple A rappers left in the streets,” but rest assured, he’s one of them. With no time to break for a chorus, like an old Wu Tang classic, Moshiri takes the mic pass directly from Prevail and starts peppering the beat with his renowned blend of lyricism, philosophy and spirituality, dropping gems like “Words will never touch it, never do it justice” in the middle of a verse packed with words so drenched in meaning you’ll spend all summer untangling them.
The hand-off, cypher style continues as Sirreal opens the final verse declaring “Now I’m standing on the shoulders of giants, I got the best spot” in a clear sign of respect for the two undisputed kings who came before him and also a nod to the significance of this collaboration, and his confidence in being able to close out such a heavyweight showcase of BC’s finest hip hop talent of all time. As if the Van City Vibes weren’t already hot enough, Snak The Ripper’s Official DJ, D-Rec closes out the song and the video with some stylish cuts.
They let ‘em know. When you put in the work, it’s Automatic.
Quotable Quotes
“What I love, is that real rap music is back. Not to discredit anything in the last 10, 12, 15 years, I just like to see that there’s a young generation that has maybe gone back to CDs or cassettes, maybe old school vinyl and they’re like ‘how did I miss EPMD, how did I miss Redman’s first 3 albums, De La Soul, Tribe, Jungle Brothers…’ and they’re kinda coming back to that really dope, modern, but with an old school aesthetic. I’m so proud of everyone’s verse on this.” – Kylie “Prevail” Hendriks on recent FB Live Stream with Sirreal
“It’s a timeless classic I think. I’m happy to be a part of it. As soon as we all got together, we’re on a rooftop, we all could just tell the vibes were right. We could just tell it was working. We’re having a good time right off the bat, everyone was laughing and every shot came out good.” – Mo Moshiri on recent FB Live Stream with Sirreal
“For me it’s one of the most important songs I’ve created in my life. I think we owe it to Canada to have this old school vibe brought back. There’s no autotune, there’s no melodyne, there’s actual scratching. It’s as old school as it gets, without sounding dated.” – Matt “Sirreal” Dunae on recent FB Live Stream with Mo Moshiri