Over the last year, Connecticut’s Adversity has released 10 singles, including his February track “Jump” with Brittney Crush. Now he’s kicking things up a notch with his latest work, a three track EP titled Cloudy Conscious. The Wethersfield MC is making moves to set him apart from his peers as he tries to make a career out of rap.

As you listen to Cloudy Conscious, Adversity, aka Brandon Johnson, gives you a fleeting glance of the vision he has for himself. You quickly realize though that Johnson is the type of person that is destined for success, regardless of the lane he finds himself in, because he is someone who invests in himself and makes things happen. Cloudy Conscious has good music – that’s not surprising. What makes the project notable is how he shares bits of his personality, hopes, and blueprints with us. I’d stop short of calling it intimate, but it’s sincere and thoughtful.

Bringing with it all of the brash bravado that has been a staple of hip hop since the beginning, “These Days” starts things off. What grabbed my attention immediately was the line, “If you talkin’ ‘bout Connecticut, I come up in discussion.” I’m not sure Adversity would have expected that to be a favorite, but I paused the track two times in a row to listen to it again before I even made it to the end.

I liked it.

That, however, is no comparison to what happened next. The second track, “Don’t Stay Down” began playing and I got chills. (Like actually). This is the best song I’ve heard from Adversity. The production is very strong, and he’s in top form. His first verse exudes confidence, and his flows are razor sharp. With a style that evokes J. Cole, Tre Brown delivers a tremendous second verse. The two rappers come together to form a great one-two punch. In his final verse, Adversity returns with a Big Sean-esq flow. It’s relentless and electric.

“Verses of My Mind” another strong offering, is in the same rarified air as “Don’t Stay Down.” Adversity is really able to show off his technical skills and ability. In the first half, he also pulls back the curtain a bit to give us the smallest of glimpses into his business mindset before moving into some earnest ambitions. It’s part guide to success, part swagger, and it makes for a great ending to a strong project. Adversity clearly has a lot on his mind, and with Cloudy Conscious, he’s able to present himself in a very thoughtful light. It feels more deeper and more mature than previous releases, and with “Don’t Stay Down” and “Verses of My Mind,” he’s put together two very strong records.

If you’re talking about Connecticut, Adversity has put himself in the discussion.

Cloudy Conscious is available on SoundCloud (with a great artist write-up) as well as your favorite streaming platform.

Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com.