Meticulously crafted magnum opus Safe To Say is a brief yet poignant, bona fide introduction into the landscape of Rooz’s mind.

Speaking to others in attendance at the ‘Safe To Say’ launch party, I got the sense his fans were feeling relief and gratitude as well as excitement due to the realisation that the years spent waiting for a Rooz project were not in vain, that the mammoth steps he has been taking behind the scenes will now be visible to for all, to be celebrated and commemorated.

Amassing as large a library of music as Rooz has can be debilitating when the time finally arrives to release something; forced to deal with questions of when and where to start. Despite, or perhaps because of multiple delays and reiterations, his first solo offering to the world is fantastic. Self-produced, mixed and mastered, it is a tightly wrapped 4-track, 12-minute EP.

Like the Rio Crossley designed cover art so beautifully captures, the project feels like heavy rainfall experienced from the inside of a car. Heavy use of Lo-fi samples including various vocal chops lend the project a discernible warmth, like that of a car heater, whilst the subject matter is likened to the distinct awareness that to reach your destination, you’ll have to brave the downpour.

The project is very downcast, but it is short enough to prevent it from becoming tired. It captures Rooz at a low point, illuminating a pessimistic-leaning outlook,, informed by a less than ideal upbringing as he raps on the opening track ‘DON’T STOP NOW’, ‘Mums got diagnosed, had me in a state… started with an empty belly I was yay high’. The pressures of life have been weighing heavily on his mother, and by extension, Rooz, forcing him to grow up prematurely.

Loneliness is a recurrent theme throughout the EP. Despite acknowledging he has people to talk to, the idea that no one understands is a pervasive one, feeling like ‘an outcast every day [he’s] alive’, as performed on ‘UNTITLED 8’. This is indicative of the tendency to display seemingly conflicting beliefs throughout the project. Whilst the title track has Rooz affirm his belief that things will be okay in the end, the following track sees Rooz detail his propensity to going around in circles due to several doubts he holds, including whether he’ll make it or not.

A rapper and storyteller at heart, there is minimal use of the traditional chorus-verse-chorus structure, instead opting for more unique arrangements. This is facilitated by impressive production with sufficient ebbs, flows and breaks. It is also enabled by frequent flow changes of which every line is delivered with complete conviction.

There exists a substantial sense of despondency on the EP which culminates in the closing track ‘LIVIN’ PROOF’. All these negative feelings that have been bubbling beneath the surface are now on full display. In a performance reminiscent of ‘U’ by Kendrick Lamar, the lyrics are delivered in a slur, as if Rooz is intoxicated, overcome with emotion.

Safe To Say is storytelling at its finest. Utilising all the weapons in his now vast arsenal, Rooz depicts the ofttimes torrential landscape of his mind. Overall, I see this project as a portrayal of the battle to ‘not be consumed by all this mess’, as he raps on ‘SAFE TO SAY’, the titular track, but to keep pushing forward. With this release, I can say the sky is not the limit for Rooz, but the point from which he will launch off into space.