St. Lucia-rooted, Brooklyn-based rapper Chelsea Reject shoots verbal bullets with a deft blend of introspection and consciousness. On songs such as the keys-sparkled “Gotta Shine” (streaming), the twenty-one-year-old musician (born Chelsea Alexander) starts with an identifiable story of integrity-seeking but then, with a single “you,” widens her quick flow to touch on subjects such as impoverishment, oppression, and national tragedy. With the horn-sloped “Go,” Reject ponders her purpose in a money-rounded world, effectively speaking for fellow strivers. One gets the sense, when listening to her smoothly assured voice, though, that the artist isn’t trying to make grand statements as much as relate her views. She does so thrillingly. Chelsea Reject performs on Monday 5.11 at The Mercury Lounge as part of the release for her ‘CMPLX’ album. – Zach Weg
