A New Six-Song EP from Duval Soul/Hip-Hop Collective L.O.V.E. Culture Maintains Their Vibrational Pull

Since 2019’s Vol. 1, the first in a series of EP’s that culminated in the January 2024 release of Vol. 3, Duval hip-hop collective L.O.V.E. Culture has made it evident that, while they were fully capable of creating dancefloor-ready songs, they were aiming for a higher aspect through lyricism, instrumentation and sonic production.

While collectively the six-songs on Vol. 3 represent a clear progression in sound, the second track “And Believe” is a savvy evolution of the group — made up of — Che Forreign, Rob Mari, Flash the Samurai, Spirit XIII and EASYin2D — and its forward-looking approach. Beginning with a beat embedded within synth washes and Che’s echo-wrapped vocals, a subsonic bass thrum and spatial keyboard chords move “And Believe” into a liquid groove. Call-and-response group vocals rise and fall, and when Che sings, “Life is short / so let’s just face it now,” it plays like an affirmation of potential rather than resignation, as the song fades out into a sparse resolve.

Vol. 3 is out now on all streaming platforms. Listen here.

Bonus: Watch L.O.V.E. Culture perform on the WJCT Soundstage and sit for an interview with WJCT arts and culture editor Matt Shaw.