Hip Hop artist/activist Farr Well(Farrington Llewellyn)explores the depths of mental illness on a 6 track opus titled “Hard Pill To Swallow.” Funk & soul take the reins as the Minneapolis based mic maverick kicks off the proceedings with a Marcus Kar featured gem called “Think.” Lush rhythms transport us to the past where we witness the artist’s daily struggle with bipolar disorder. Voices in his head attempt to undermine the emcee’s ascent but he proves to possess incredible resilience.
“Bprr” follows next with a manic theme of paranoia punctuated by a hybrid of rock & trap. Farr Well tries to navigate through the highs and lows of his mercurial temperament while leaving his medication behind. On “Living L(r)ight the lyricist pleads for relief from his internal trauma before blessing listeners with a “Street Forecast.” The latter cut delves into heavy topics of neighborhood violence & police brutality over a soulful soundscape of reflection.
“Kid Again” finds the rapper recalling the freedom of childhood. It was the only period of his life where reckless abandon didn’t lead to dire consequences. Farr Well effectively expresses the sentiment of days long gone by delivering a minimalist track boiling over with raw emotion. “2/20” concludes with Farr Well’s admission that “something’s wrong.” It’s a “Hard Pill To Swallow” but he’ll triumph over time.
– Kevin Keith
