REVIEW: Malc – No Hesitation III

Malc – No Hesitation III

by Matthew Bailey 

“No Hesitation III” is the newest EP from Bayonne, New Jersey rapper Malcolm X. Robinson a.k.a. Malc and a threequel of sorts to his 2019 single “No Hesitation” and its 2020 follow-up “No Hesitation II”. Prior to listening to this EP, I checked out his previous albums “The Layover” (2018), “P2” (2019), “For Motivational Use Only” (2019) and “Soon Enough” (2020), along with his first EP “Thinking Out Loud” (2020). 

Though his albums clock in at under 30 minutes (“Soon Enough” is roughly a minute away from hitting that 30-minute mark), Malc packs quite a punch on each of them, with sharp, witty lyricism, a bold, cocky and charismatic demeanor and a keen ear for 90s and 2000s-inspired hip hop production, particularly Just Blaze and Kanye West-style beats which incorporate soulful, harmonious samples. His hunger for success is prevalent throughout his music, along with some all-too-familiar but nonetheless potent themes of self-motivation, focus on one’s goals, love for family, loyalty and trust to his loved ones and the mistrust and disdain felt towards his former friends, haters and detractors.  With “No Hesitation III”, we’re treated to four tracks and a runtime of roughly 12 ½ minutes, almost as short as his “Thinking Out Loud” EP. And like his previous projects, Malc packs just enough heat to satisfy old and new listeners of his music, whilst giving them just enough encouragement and motivation to go hard on their endeavors and/or simply go about their day-to-day. 

The EP opens with “Do or Die” which features a triumphant, soul-infused instrumental and a VERY well-written, self-affirmative second verse from guest rapper Zig Luve. Malc questions the loyalty his supporters have for him as a rapper on the rise, and how quickly their true intentions are revealed with one step forward or backward on that road to success. Though the theme of distrust resonates throughout this track, Malc carefully frames himself as someone who isn’t fearfully paranoid over the supposed betrayals he may face within his social circles, but constantly keeps his head on a swivel, just in case someone he’s aligned with gets in the way of him attaining his dreams.  On the following track “Better Yet”, Malc raps about the mindset he adopts when focused on his music. I really dug the wavy piano-driven beat for this track (points for the ghostly ‘DJ scratches’ before the second verse) and how HARD Malc goes in on it. All over this track, he sounds laser focused as he drops rhymes about how seriously he takes his craft, the little he cares for his rivals and their respective grind, and the success he expects from the hard work put in. The shout-out to his mom near the end was pretty hilarious, given what he says on the post-chorus about not having time for “no basic bitch”. 

We then get the second and final collaborative track “GO” where Malc and guest rapper Soulfull deliver fiery, energetic flows over a trunk-rattling beat with a trap-flavored interpolation of the piano melody from the CLASSIC Mystikal song “Here I Go” (the title of which Malc shouts out on the hook’s ad-lib). Malc sounds assertive and determined as ever on this track, rapping about how close he is towards his goals and his refusal to limit himself to the proverbial “ceiling”. Everything in this song works, from the contrast in vocal pitch and lyrical flow between Malc and Soulfull (who delivers his vocals in a slightly aggressive, low register), to the catchy-ass hook and lyrics themselves. Malc starts his verse with a few of my favorite lines on the EP (“Facilitating separation, exercising elevation / Militant, no relaxation with operations / Fortune 500 how we run this corporation / Silent foundation, ain’t no fucking stagnation / Just manifestation, that’s the only obligation / And never, ever, ever do that shit basic”). While listening to Soulfull’s verse, I found myself comparing his flow to that of East Coast rap legend Freddie Foxxx/Bumpy Knuckles, especially around the second half of his verse when he spits: “I’ve been patiently waiting to get my shit off – and put us all on / I’m a vessel of motivation and body determination / How the fuck you hatin’ on me when I’m everything you’ve been praying for? I / need what I need and I – won’t keep for greed and I…”. Long story short, this shit SLAPS!!!  The EP concludes with the solo track “Knowing”, which features some Just Blaze-inspired production with sweeping, pitch-shifted female vocalizing, some soulful piano chords in the background and an opening and closing audio clip (the latter of which is a rather ‘adorable’ producer tag that appeared on the final track of “Thinking Out Loud”) which add a deeply personal layer to the overall song. Here, Malc delivers a one-verse summary of the hustle and drive addressed throughout this EP, whilst dropping words of inspiration and wisdom to those on a similar path to greatness. In one of the EP’s biggest highlights, Malc does some clever pop culture references to further emphasize his ambition (“Beaming…..Scotty, n***a, who supposed to stop me? / I got the swag of Apollo and hunger like I’m Rocky / Clubber swinging….working like Drago / ‘Til I’m out the foxhole, that’s straight facts / Ain’t too many that got those”). Easily the most emotionally-driven song on “No Hesitation III”, “Knowing” ends this EP on a strong note. 

As a whole, “No Hesitation III” is yet another well-crafted and well-put-together EP from Malc. It is a good starting point for getting into his music, although I recommend checking out his earlier records first before jumping into this one. Malc’s pen game and mic presence are still strong, and I imagine they’ll be heightened even more in his subsequent releases. And while I do hope at least one of those future releases runs PAST 30 minutes (No overlong, filler-filled, deluxe-edition sized albums, please!), the attention and care put into doing the most in a fairly small window of time is truly admirable.  If you’re a fan of no-BS, filler-free, motivational hip hop, by all means, give “No Hesitation III” a listen. 

Visit www.94tilent.com to tune into more Malc as well as his latest visuals.