Album Review: Chí Saínt Flows with Steady Cool on Karma EP

Rapper Chí Saínt moves through her Karma EP like someone who's been here before. There’s a patience in her delivery, a weight to the way she phrases things that makes her sound years past her age. She rhymes and sings from a place of knowing, and the music follows her lead.

The cut “Alchemy” rolls out first, subtle as a breeze with crickets humming under a soft flute while something howls in the distance. The beat waits for you to catch up. Then Chí steps in, voice low, a bit gravelly and almost conversational: “Release that dopamine, feel the holy potent shxt / Let your mental feel the peace rise, cleanse that energy.” The drums and bass land with an earthiness and warmth, laced with a spoonful of Dungeon Family-steeped phonk. She lays out her case for taking regular hits of transcendental spiritualism without a drop of frills or filler.

The mood thickens with “Karma.” Producer Mides rattles off a tipsy groove—drums boxed in, spacy synths wobbling like they've been running on fumes. The beat feels lived-in as if it’s been looped in a smoky bedroom studio with the lights low. Chí rides it with the same calm she opened with, spitting “Karma is a debt collector, she’s at your door.” You can try to ignore the knocking if you want, but the bill still comes due.

“Eye of the Storm” shifts the tempo without breaking the vibe. K. English Unlocked fires off a slinking rhythm that bops through your headphones with a lean, while Chí and guest emcee Makk pick up the pace. Chí states her position plainly: “I am the storm comin’.” Makk follows—voice lighter but no less sharp.

“End of Times” brings it all to a close with a smooth finish. Sparse melodies that sway with a dubby swing and a crunchy drum loop mellow out the mood. Chí dips into some darker, apocalyptic themes in her rhymes, but the energy isn't exactly heavy. Feeling a bit shorter than the others, the track seems to fade a little too soon, but the air stays thick in its wake. She said what she needed to—the rest is ours to figure out.

Chí Saínt’s Karma EP hits with purpose, powering through the speakers with a vibe that glides from spiritual calm to grit-laced thumps. Every cut carries reflections that roll in with a wise-beyond-her-years approach. This artist and this project are definitely worth paying attention to.