Near the end of our phone call, Radamiz takes a moment to push back on the wisdom of C.S. Lewis. The Brooklyn native takes aim specifically at a line from the collection of essays and letters How to Pray: Lewis, ever the optimist, wrote that the “safest road to hell is a gradual one,” a process that skates by without any warning that you’re headed toward the fiery depths. Reflecting on the journey toward his latest EP, the Mahershala Ali-produced Bottom of Heaven I, Radamiz wonders if there’s an alternate, more positive reading on taking things slow. Celebrating the laconic churn of life in the face of a culture that seeks to microwave and capitalize on every nugget of naturally occurring beauty until it’s done and dusted.
This more optimistic critical analysis aligns with the fact that Bottom of Heaven is the product of a friendship between Radamiz and Mahershala Ali that dates back more than six years. The bookends on this particular chapter of the patient underground rapper and the movie star highlight a deliberate approach to artistry that defies modern industry pressures.