In recent months, Cldwaterr has been slowly been building a reputation for himself as one of Chicago’s more compelling hip-hop artists. With a knack for fierce deliveries, deeply personal lyricism and an ear for old school instrumentals, he has taken the genre back to its roots in a way that is fresh and imaginative. On his new single, “Has-Been,” he continues to build on these trends.

Produced by Sekani, The instrumental has “classy” written all over it. The vocal sample is extremely soulful with a ghostly twang to it, and the grumbling base and rhythmic percussion serve as nice complimentary pieces. The strings are absolutely gorgeous as well.

Cldwaterr brings the braggadocio on here, but he backs it up by showing he’s in top form. There’s an undeniably smooth sense of charisma in his delivery, yet he sounds hungrier than ever. His wordplay is more sharp and his bars even more direct than usual, showing an immense amount of progression in just a short amount of time.

“Has-Been” is yet another example that Cldwaterr can appeal to hip-hop fans of all kinds. His old school beats and content-heavy rhymes are more than enough to appeal to a purist crowd, while his smooth sense of charisma should grab the ears of younger, more mainstream fans. With the universal appeal Cldwaterr has, he is definitely an artist who will be sticking around for a long time.

“Has-Been” is out now on all platforms. Stream it here: https://songwhip.com/song/cldwaterr/has-been

Follow Cldwaterr on Instagram @cldwaterr