Eshon Burgundy and Zara Royalty are both Philly artists who have both been releasing music since the mid-2010s. They have appeared on each other’s projects over the years, but until now, they had never done a full project before. Since they are husband and wife, it did feel like just a matter of time before it happened, and now it’s finally here in the form of It Is What It Is.

From the moment It Is What It Is gets going, the vibe is pretty clear for the project. It’s full of laid back, warm, gospel and jazz-inspired boom bap beats, which just sets the stage for Burgundy and Royalty to get on the mic and spit their truth. Now, these two are Christian artists, but when I usually hear that phrase, I tend to think of those artists that make music that feels more like a commercial for the church. This isn’t always the case, of course. In the case of Burgundy and Royal, this is more of a confessional project, and their faith means a lot to them, and so in the course of examining their lives and how they’ve coped with different situations, their faith is a large part of what helped guide them through as they’ve navigated this world and forged a life together. On the mics, they both make nice transitions between singing and rapping, and they complement each other well, with Burgundy’s raspy voice contrasting well against Royalty’s smoother tone. The whole thing comes together as a really intimate affair that is best listened to one-on-one, where you can really get lost inside the music and the conversations that these two are having on the mic and do some self-reflecting along the way.

It Is What It Is is a really welcoming and inviting project from two artists who really know how to work well together and bring the best out of each other. It’s a deeply personal piece of art, and they both dug deep to put it together and it shows.