Kalamari - reticence (EP)

Your favorite rapper and favorite appetizer, Kalamari, released his “reticence” EP at the start of October and has been relentless in promoting each track, giving listeners plenty of chances to gather around and take notice.

Despite the reserved emotions its title might suggest, Kalamari digs deep into his conscience on this project, revealing more of himself with every track. “Proof of Life” paints that picture perfectly. He bears down on the weight that has overtaken his psyche, letting that pressure produce a powerful sentiment. While his words may help lighten the listener’s load, you can hear how much it takes for him to start telling his life story.

I can't lie, I ran this track back a few times before moving on to the rest of the project. There’s something about the way Kalamari approaches his thoughts on this record that makes you stop and listen a little closer. It’s one thing to put your emotions into music, but it’s another to make listeners feel the weight behind every word.

The production throughout “reticence” is prestigious, easing listeners into each track before Kalamari steps in and starts talking his shit. “Rubi Rolls” comes to mind when describing what I mean. The track opens with flutes at the top of the key, with the rest of the production gradually falling into place as Kalamari begins wickedly lighting up the beat with his lyricism. The instrumental sets the atmosphere, giving him the space to deliver his bars without losing the track’s overall momentum.

But I can’t end this review without mentioning what might be one of the realest songs I’ve heard in a while.

One particular track gave me flashbacks to the first time I heard King Khali’s “Everything Is Not Okay.”Kalamari is bleeding his soul into the music, holding nothing back and confronting the harsh realities surrounding the almighty dollar. Money can be a source of opportunity, a means of survival, and a way to build something meaningful. But it can also become the root of problems that people would rather keep hidden in plain sight.

Instead, he uses those experiences as motivation, turning personal struggles into something listeners can recognize within their own lives. It’s the kind of honesty that cuts deep because, behind the music, there’s a reality many people understand but rarely speak about openly.

“reticence” reminds us that being reserved doesn’t mean having nothing to say. Sometimes, the most meaningful stories come from the thoughts we keep buried until we finally find the courage to let them out. Kalamari gives those thoughts a voice, balancing sharp lyricism and compelling production with moments of genuine vulnerability.

Some records make you nod your head. Others make you press rewind because you need to sit with what you just heard. Kalamari’s Reticence gives you reasons to do both.