Envelope Shark Bolt

• Words: Taryn Harrington
• Label: Weightless
• XLR8R Rating: 7/10

Outside of Columbus, Ohio rapper Envelope is just an unknown freestyler, but when he’s spitting over producer Blueprint’s samples and kicks he comes correct with oodles of energy. Envelope’s dude-like lyrics and Blueprint’s funky beats coalesce on the MC’s second full-length album, Shark Bolt, where an unpretentious backyard-barbecue vibe entices you to peek through the fence. Envelope might want to be known more as a barstool prophet than a hip-hop artist (he credits his tours outside Ohio as "Blueprint charity”) but it’s that exact attitude that keeps Shark Bolt afloat.