Review: R.A.P. Ferreira’s ‘Purple Moonlight Pages’

On Purple Moonlight Pages, R.A.P. Ferreira is extremely loose and free, at times even nonchalant, but he is always impressive and in control. The emcee’s intriguing abstract nature, wit, confidence and unwavering commitment to the craft of imaginative rhyming all combine in a performance that will undoubtedly go on to be remembered as one of his peaks. Although his verses are rarely conventionally direct, the combination of the upward trajectory of his career, the establishment of his own record label and the birth of his son has made Ferreira much more open and reflective lyrically. Living and learning from these experiences has helped him release what is arguably his best work yet.

Even the most mundane of tasks, like “Laundry”, are turned into ruminations on fatherhood and the potential long-term fate of independent rappers. The first verse of “Leaving Hell” is a succinct summation of the environment the rapper immersed himself in to get to where he is today (“Devious with determination / Solitude is crowded by isolation / Wandered wearily for several eternities / Gaining acclaim, using fake names”). In addition to its lyrical strength, Purple Moonlight Pages also has Ferreira at his most expressive and energetic. Standout moments include the spirited verse that opens “An Idea Is A Work of Art” and the second verse of “Noncipher”, where the rapper’s cadence adapts the improvisational style of the saxophone behind it.

The instrumental backing here somehow manages to be just as impressive as the rapping. Ferreira and the Jefferson Park Boys (Kenny Segal, Mike Parvizi and Mr. Carmack) embrace the jazz ethos in a sensational manner. The crisply chopped live drumming stands out throughout the record, especially in moments like “U.D.I.G (United Defenders of International Goodwill)” and “Absolutes”. The tight rhythm section gives the album a strong sense of head-nodding groove, and when the Jefferson Park Boys aren’t doing that, they are taking the listener through passages of an absurd level of beauty. The combination of gorgeous piano chords and rising horns works wonders on “Golden Sardine”, and the track that precedes it, “Pinball”, features a spellbinding string-laden instrumental and a fantastic guest verse by Open Mike Eagle.

Purple Moonlight Pages is a descendant of cult classics like Freestyle Fellowship’s Innercity Griots and more widely known jazz-infused hip-hop essentials such as The Roots’ Do You Want More?!!!??!. It’s strangely poetic that the initials of Ferreira’s first name spell out R.A.P. (Rory Allen Phillip), because the high quality of this album clearly shows that this is something that he was born to do. In the Jefferson Park Boys, he has found a group with a magnificent jazzy brand of hip-hop that fits his style perfectly. Ferreira is a rapper who frequently awes and never holds the listener’s hand – and that type of creative freedom is what hip-hop is all about.

R.A.P. Ferriera’s Purple Moonlight Pages is Out Now on Bandcamp