Terrell Hines’ Debut: “Portal One: The Mixtape”
“If shit popped off and society had to be rebuilt, how would I do it?” is the overarching question of songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Terrell Hines’ theme in music. Upon the debut of his mixtape, “Portal One: The Mixtape”, Hines ties both postmodern and post-apocalyptic themes to create his own unique sound. We had the opportunity to hear from the artists himself to give insight into his as a creator.
Born in Georgia and raised in Los Angeles, Hines earned a full ride to The Berklee College of Music before signing a deal with Capitol Records. While “Portal One: The Mixtape” is his first release, he has managed to reach more than 2 million streams. Incorporating and blending different sounds from pop beats to rap verses, Hines turns away from boxing himself into one specific genre. He called his music “timeless.”
“I make genre-bending music so I don’t know what genre to call it,” Hines said. “I just make sure I make the best of whatever I’m making.”
In the opening song on the mixtape, “Promise,” it begins with an R&B vibe then segues into a rap verse, then transitions back into the R&B chorus. The blend creates a catchy and solid beat that sets the scene for the rest of the mixtape.
Again, he switches up genres in “Get Up” featuring Vince Staples. Starting out with a high energy pop sound, the chorus gives tinges of rap with a continuous flow. Even though Terrell said he didn’t have a favorite song because he “[has] the same connection to all of them in a way,” “Get Up” is my favorite. Terrell and Vince’s voices flow so well with one another on this track, especially over the upbeat rhythm. It just makes you want to listen to it over and over again.
“Portal One was just my perception of the world we live in,” Haines said. He also said that the creative process behind his music is always “concept-driven.”
After hearing this comment, the song “With Me” stuck out as a powerful song with a message. Lyrics such as, “Everywhere you go, everybody got opinions,” and “ Might as well take your time, make sure you living” especially resonate with me. The lyrics speak for themselves when they say that everyone is always going to have an opinion. With this in mind, I try to live my life not caring about others’ opinions, because that’s all they are: opinions. I like to think that Terrell follows the same ideals.
On top of the Vince Staples feature, Hines also brought BJ The Chicago Kid onto the mixtape in “Atwater Village”. This was another favorite of mine for it has a heavier R&B influence than “Get Up”. The constant guitar riff along with the echoes in the chorus are just a couple of the many features of this song that make it a must-listen. My favorite, though, is the mix of strings that finish off the song.
From this debut mixtape, it’s clear that Terrell Hines is leading off on the right foot into his career in the music industry. No matter what genre you listen to, you’re sure to find its influence in this mixtape, which is what makes Terrell so versatile. Being his first mixtape, I’m excited to see where his music is going to take him, along with the new sounds we’ll get to hear from him. Be sure to stream “Portal One: The Mixtape” on all listening platforms here.
