CHROMA. Photo: Andres “FITO” Plascencia
As Kalid Abdul foretold back in May, summer did not escape without CHROMA dropping new music.
Released on Sept. 15, The Age of Starlight, the Texas-based Chicano rap collective’s first full-length effort in three years (following the 2020 release of the single “Primavera,” featuring A-Wall) is the trio’s latest mixtape, previewed earlier this year with the release of the terrific single “It’s Crunch Time!”
CHROMA — comprised of Abdul, POLITO and Bleu Santana — embraced collaboration once again on Starlight, with guest spots from A-Wall, Zebra Troop, Ariel & the Culture and Pat Ron across 14 tracks.
“I think the main essence of CHROMA is made truly through collaboration and it’s been truly a blessing to be in a scene with such talented artists that inspire us and influenced us in the creation of this mixtape,” Abdul told KXT earlier this year. “We went on a retreat with some of those artists in the summer of 2022 and made a bunch of songs for a whole week in the middle-of-nowhere Texas.
“There was crazy energy in each room … Beats playing all day, writing outside next to a stable and dogs running around the house was almost surreal. Just the enjoyment of each other’s company was an experience we’ll cherish forever truly. That week really shaped the way to us finding the sound of the album.”
In support of The Age of Starlight, CHROMA plans to tour this year — with dates planned for Dallas, McAllen, and San Antonio — as well as dropping a music video for the track “George Lopez,” which features the trio’s collaboration with Ariel & the Culture.
As for what fans can expect of Starlight, Abdul told KXT earlier this year the mixtape is “us in our rawest form. [It’s] showing a piece of us in the timeline of our lives and careers and bringing together all the colors and sounds that make us who we are. We always try to outdo ourselves and take us to the next level. But now that the music is done and mastered and we’ve gotten the chance to go back and listen, it really feels like we achieved just that.”
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
