by René Cobar (@renefcobar)
Marche Lashawn, best known as Che Noir, has successfully combined the rawness of beat-to-voice corner street gatherings with lush production for a rap record titled The Last Remnants. This album, and its collective of life-hardened voices, is a callback to the storytelling aspect of hip-hop that developed in the corners of South Bronx and Harlem which first saw both the genre and its communities flourish.
Che's tales emanate from a place 384 miles northwest of there, a city called Buffalo. From this often frigid and unforgiving environment, Che summons the steely tone with which she spits "Handicap," the album's opening track. In the snare-driven song, Che establishes her values around family, the music industry, and people in general; she sets boundaries when she says, "Feed your brothers/When you eat your supper, don't eat with suckers" and means it.
That resolve carries to emotionally deeper tracks like "Therapy Session," which most sincerely displays intimate narratives about Che's life. Some, like the sudden death of her best friend and her aunt's terminal illness, are as tough a subject to discuss as the person discussing them. In the closing verse, Che states, "I never let my losses determine my path, even though some losses that I took is gonna hurt to get past," with as strong a tone as the crashing cymbals that drive the beat into the heart and soul.
That voice has a hint of pride earned from the immense hurdles Che has overcome, yet her humility shines as she allows longtime friends and collaborators to lead her tracks with her behind them. In "Bidding War," Ransom jolts to life to provide a cautionary tale for young artists looking to make it big in the music industry; like a sage, Che joins the swirling synth-infused beat to concur.
"Wash The Dishes," perhaps above all, is a masterful collaboration with Griselda Records crew member Benny the Butcher. The song, set to a buttery bass pulse and short vocalizations, sees Che and Benny flaunt their independence from mainstream record labels. They unapologetically showcase the Upstate New York music community they continue to build. Che clearly states, "We all can get it, it's enough for us all to eat/If we run out of plates after I eat, I wash the dishes." That statement reflects Che's character, her willingness to work for the well-being of others, and the respect gained through those actions, not just the words that precede them.
"Promised Land" is an ode to the craft of verse-building, and Che and 38 Spesh pen it beautifully. "Art of Patience" closes the record on a softer note, with Che's voice matching the tenor of this finale, reflecting on what is and isn't possible for the future. "If I plant a seed, will the flower grow?" Che asks at the end, perhaps knowing that she has answered that in her body of work, in the vivid stories of The Last Remnants: stories about family, tragedy, and the building of a talented community ever-growing.