Checkmate

Vancouver MC and former All About Us member brings his first solo single release attempting to build on his appearance on “Northern Touch.” “The Longshot” sports a booming beat provided by the MC himself, who adds his scrappy battle-ready flow relaying his own mode of operation. Despite its familiar sample, Checkmate leaves his own stamp on “Devil vs. The Maker,” nicely describing his personal battle between good and evil. And while “High Life” would seem to be a celebration of all things jiggy, it’s actually a cautionary approach to aspiring to this status that Checkmate and his able cohort Concise “The Black Knight” endorse over an uptight funk track rounding off this promising release.