Under the Influence Vol 4.2.0 Side A is the latest installment in Khern$‘s annual tradition, dropping every April 20th like clockwork. It’s an artistic ritual that’s as much about personal reflection as it is about celebrating the hustle. But don’t let the 4/20 release date fool you; this mixtape isn’t about to drop a bunch of recycled ideas or bland soundbites. No, this is Khern$ taking everything they’ve absorbed, flipping it, and showing us what happens when someone who’s been paying attention to the greats (with more than a few nods to Jay-Z and even riding a Jay-Z beat at one point) decides to build their own empire. It’s less a mixtape and more a statement—an introduction to someone who is already aware that the road to success is paved with grit, strategy, and impeccable execution.
Right from the get-go, Under the Influence Vol 4.2.0 Side A throws familiarity out the window and gives it a fresh coat of paint. The beats may ring a bell for those familiar with the classics, but under Khern$’s guidance, they become something far more compelling. We’re talking about well-known beats, each reimagined, given new life, and dressed up with sharp wordplay and artistic flair But Khern$ doesn’t just stop there—Under the Influence Vol 4.2.0 Side A is like a sonic playground where every sample from pop culture movies, TV shows, and classic literature is strategically placed like a breadcrumb trail, not just to tug at your sense of nostalgia, but to add real, weighty layers of meaning to the personal narratives Khern$ is dropping.
Musically, it’s a delicate balance between polish and rawness. We get everything from soulful, jazzy vibes that have you thinking a little more deeply to hard-hitting, punchy beats that slap you across the face and make you want to move. It’s the type of mixtape you can throw on for a late-night introspective session or blast at the next house party and hell, it works for both. There’s a versatility to the sound, and Khern$ nails the balance between energy and introspection. If Jay-Z had Reasonable Doubt for the street, then this is Khern$’s version for the creative, intellectual, and aspirational. There’s the same hunger, the same sharpness in the delivery.
Khern$’s storytelling, unfolds like a cinematic saga where the hero already knows how the credits roll. You can practically hear the grease-stained notebooks full of midnight bar sessions, but somehow it never tips into pretension. Instead, Khern$ raps with the quiet swagger of someone who’s already peeked behind success’s curtain and decided, “Nah, I’ll build my own.” And yeah, he’s got that Jay-Z playbook wink, because true greatness isn’t just about spitting hot lines, it’s about laying down a business blueprint, launching a brand, and still making your boardroom moves sound like platinum records. Just like Hov went from Marcy Projects to mogul status, Khern$ is stacking these tracks like foundation stones for his own empire; one bar at a time.
Basically: Under the Influence Vol 4.2.0 Side A by Khern$ is here to rewrite the rulebook, dazzle your eardrums, and raise the bar so high you’ll need a telescope to see it.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
