LaRon Bryson - For The Few (Album(

It’s LaRon’s world, we’re just privileged enough to get a glimpse into it with this debut album of his. To open up this record with such kind words from “that woman from around the corner”, “Ms. Peggy”, should let you know just how intimate each of these testimonials throughout are about to be. If you’ve been following The Tree Team then this should be a glorious moment for you as a fan of the talent they continue to usher in as they continue to elevate as a syndicate. It’s a new era for these fellas & he’s yet another leading light for the San Antonio music scene as a whole. Opening with the title track, the tonality of the record is immediately set in stone with his introspection here as he reflects on his coming of age, struggles with ADHD & the balance most artists have to strike between their work lives & their passions. The self awareness & raw honesty he exhibits here really make way for the build up of determination as the record progresses. Like any young person, he spent a lot of time chasing instant gratification not realizing those temporary pleasures were only holding him back from his higher purpose. He wasn’t chosen but it’s evident that he’s ready to rise to the occasion whenever it presents itself & it seems that’s exactly what he’s doing as we speak, even though it’s frightening for someone who came from nothing to see the fruits of his labor slowly start to pay off. Ms. Peggy comes through once again at the end to drive this sentiment home based off her own experiences.

We then bleed into “Spike Spiegel”, which finds LaRon speaking on men’s mental health, as well as to himself. As men, it’s very easy for us to talk down on ourselves when we’re not quite where we feel we need to be in life. It’s even easier for us to slip into substance abuse to cope with life’s hardships but it’s those addictions that play a much deeper role in why the suicide rates in men continue to spike to new levels. It’s evident that LaRon doesn’t wanna be another statistic to add to the growing rates. I’m very appreciative that he’s touching on this issue cause as men, we do tend to bottle our emotions up until they come bursting out of us like an artesian well or even worse, we explode like TNT & this usually occurs in front of if not towards those who love us the most. If we don’t heal our traumas then we’re not only hurting ourselves but those around us as well as the generations of men to come. It’s crucial that we do what may feel like the impossible when we’re going through it but we’re a lot stronger & resilient than we may even care to give ourselves credit for. We must patient with ourselves as we work through our issues & understand that it’s gonna be a tedious process. Healing is not linear, it won’t happen overnight.

“RIOT!” is not necessarily what’ll happen if you compartmentalize but it is an expression of youthful rage & angst. Definitely the perfect predecessor for the brief turn up section to follow or better yet, a campaign ad before his big speech on “LB For President”. Now I’m not one for politics & he certainly isn’t either. He could care less about your little status cause truth is, you’ll never be in a position to run against him, especially since he’s been “Runnin’” shit long before he was even aware you existed. While you’re sitting stagnant, afraid to make the moves necessary, he’s steady stacking his bread & investing it into himself, into his presidential run if you will. A lot of people like to talk a good game but they’re just good orators at the end of the day, with little to nothing to show for it, to back up the shit they be saying. Not him. The music, the shows, his fans, it all speaks for itself. With all that in mind, you’d be crazy to not vote for him but regardless, he’s taking over. No other track is more indicative of him being a Texas mainstay than “Still Trippin’”. Even before people heard the name, he knew he was gonna have his big breakthrough regardless, cause that’s what, not just hard & dedication but beautiful music, does! It cuts through the noise no matter what, whether you like it or not! It’s funny how they say money will change a person but in reality, it just makes you more of who you always were cause even though he is raking in more dough than he ever has, he’s still doing the same shit he’s always done, unlike most artists who are quick to throw away their integrity for a little chump change. He’s not arrogant about it either as if he’s drowning in it, he’s still trying to keep his head above water like most working class people but he is grinding.

Of course, when I said mainstay, I didn’t mean that he was a creature of comfort by any means, as he’s reporting live from Paris on “Garden of Eden”, a record that perfectly balances his boastful braggadocio with social commentary. It’s always great when an artist uses their voice to speak truth to power. Most artists wouldn’t dare have the gall but if he was putting it all on the line on the previous record, then he’d be willing to do the same for the greater good. It’s always a risky move to speak on these things, as most people fear losing opportunities, supporters, etc etc over it & I ain’t gonna lie, I tend to get annoyed a bit when artists make political statements cause they do tend to come off a little preachy but with his fervorous delivery coupled with that daunting production, he manages to avoid that all together on this important cut.

Things start winding down in the final portion of this record as he tag teams a bidi with Eastside Fish on “Cece”. The way these two slide over this is far too infectious to resist, Cece has no choice but to give into her temptations. Both are smooth talking her straight into submission on this joint. You would think having a bad bitch could solve all your problems but once that one night stand is over, it’s back to you & yourself. Despite all these vices or better yet distractions, LaRon is still dealing with a lot mentally as of “Lately”. It’s the most honest he’s been with himself since the introductory track. It feels like “higher unlearning” to me as he’s now begun questioning a lot of what he was taught & healing that inner child that is begging for some alleviation. There’s nothing weak about what he’s expressing here, it’s raw, it’s vulnerable & it’s something I pray he continues to practice. The album then closes ceremoniously with what has to be his finest lyrical performance on here with “Yves Saint LaRon” & with a title like that, I expected nothing less than what he delivered. There’s so much going on lyrically on this outro but I’ll leave that for the listener to decipher themselves. All in all, I’d say this is a marvelously motivational album, one that showcases an artist who’s hell bent on raising the bar, not only for our scene but for himself. From the production to simply his presence, this album shall stand as a testament of the many great things I’m certain he’ll follow this up with but until then, may we continue to use his story here as inspiration to stay steadily inching up our own inclinations.