Sylvan LaCue - Searching Sylvan (2014) [MP3]

There are mixtapes and there are albums. Although Searching Sylvan is available as a free download, I hesitate in calling it a mixtape. It’s too complete, too cohesive, too deep, too polished, & too original to be called anything but an album. This, my friends, is a comprehensive work of art. Miami native, QuESt, has supplied the magnifying glass and opened his front door. Encouraging us not to download the project, but to listen to his story, Q’s genuine appreciation for his fans and his music is a true sign of his character.

You hear it often, but this is honestly one of those records that you have to listen to from start to finish – at least the first few times through. There are tracks for every occasion, but to fully understand QuESt’s story, as a fan, I ask you press play and don’t next until the conclusion of “May 10, 2012”. Then you should press play, again.

There are countless quotable’s throughout this project, but the second half of “Automatic” exemplifies to me what this story is all about. The below is just a bite and even that doesn’t fully grasp the message he’s putting forward.

“Aspirations, responsibilities, caught between them I’m torn
Tug of war with both of my arms
Strategize the cards that I’ve drawn”

There are life lessons, struggles, successes, high highs and low lows, and most importantly an endless hunger heard through and through. It’s still too early for me to pick favorites but the few that stuck out during my first listen through; “Biscayne Blvd”, “Make It Out Alive” (…YesQuEStCanSing), “Automatic”, “Erase Me”, “Hunger”, “Struggle Rapper”, “Jon Bellions One Way To San Diego (Outro)”, & “May 10, 2012”. Shit, well that really narrows it down doesn’t it? Rather than listening to me, head over to SearchingSylvan.com for a track-by-track breakdown by Sylvan himself! There is no weak link in this 17-song masterpiece.

Production credits belong to the entire VMG roster along with Q’s in house producers, The Marvels, the homie OB, as well as other very talented beat scientists. First and foremost, 6ix, who is said to be one of QuESt’s biggest fans, is as committed to succeeding with QuESt as anyone else out there. They continue to grow and together create beautiful music. We’ve heard what Logic and 6ix can cook up together, now is our chance to hear what 6ix can do with QuESt. Feed them hot sauce with their Chipotle and hell, you’ve got bangers like “Hunger” and “Automatic” – two of my favorite songs of the year. Next is Q’s in house producers, The Marvels, who clearly know him as an artist and can craft their work to his liking. From start to finish, these guys put it on. Another one that may have caught some of you by surprise is Visionary’s own, Logic. For the avid listener, we know Logic can produce and can produce well. He’s working hard at improving this aspect of his game and his work on “Biscayne Blvd” and “No Love In The City” attribute directly to that. And don’t let me forget OB, a resident VMG contributor.

Without further adieu, I present to you QuESt’s “Searching Sylvan”. One of the best collections of music you’ll hear this year.