Browsing Tag

Emo Rap

Resonant Quietus: BLVCK GARDEN expresses the inexpressible in his emo rap hit, ‘MY SILENCE’

Posted on 18 October 2024

BLVCK GARDEN’s single ‘MY SILENCE’ is an intricate exploration of how silence is the loudest scream. BLVCK GARDEN is just one of the guises of Carlos Fabre, an artist with roots deeply entrenched in electronic music and hip-hop. As BLVCK GARDEN, Fabre channels his versatility into an emo rap project that resonates with an irrefutable intensity.

The track initiates with a robust thrum of harsh, reverberant bass—a foreboding echo that sets the stage before the beat escalates beneath sharp-with-candour bars delivering the pinnacle of vulnerability.

Fabre constructed a soundscape where spatial effects and the dynamics of the instrumentation speak volumes. Each verse is delivered with a raw, freestyle energy yet carries the weight of a seasoned poet’s ink, unveiling a spectrum of emotions that connect through stark honesty.

Emerging from his diverse musical background—having honed his skills in production and instrumentation remotely via RRFC—Fabre’s latest endeavour in emo rap hints at a promising new direction. With aspirations to sign with a label and further his reach, ‘MY SILENCE’ is a sign of massive things to come from the emo rap luminary.

MY SILENCE hit the airwaves on October 6th; stream the track on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Salon is an icon of raw authenticity in his alt-rap hit, About Me, I’m Real

Posted on 10 July 2024

Salon’s latest single, About Me, I’m Real, is an unflinching testament to the power of raw, unfiltered self-expression in a world that often demands the opposite.

The heart-piercingly poignant single doesn’t just hit close to the bone, it’s enough to tear your soul in two through the choked-with-emotion vibrato in the vocals, the strident reflections of a frenetic soul through hyper-pop hooks, and the intimately intricate guitar layers which conjure elements of Midwest emo into this alt-rap hit, which serves as a visceral statement of intent from an artist determined true to himself, regardless of whether facades would serve him better.

Each lyric hammers intense emotion into your psyche, guiding you through a bittersweet lament of how authenticity can be your downfall. This track leaves no listener unscathed; its confessional nature, while pensive, invites you to embrace your own idiosyncrasies and reject incessant pressure to conform.

Since 2018, Salon has used music as therapy, transposing feelings into something tangible in the same vein as the late Chester Bennington, who left a sonic void of catharsis behind. Bennington is a big artist to live up to, but Salon, with his ability to turn vulnerability into salvation is succeeding on a profound level.

About Me, I’m Real was officially released on July 5th; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vashaun set the alt-rap scene ablaze with ‘Lit Matches’, ft VHC

Posted on 4 June 2024

Few artists defy genre constraints with as much fire and fervour as Vashaun. At this stage in his career, his unflinchingly expressive discography, which focuses on visualising emotion, exploring phenomena, and welcoming listeners into his worldview and the streets that raised him, almost spans the entirety of the sonic spectrum.

From rock to emo to rap to Afrobeat to acoustic pop, it’s anyone’s guess where he will take his fans next. With his latest single, Lit Matches, the Chicago-born-and-raised artist collaborated with VHC to deliver one of his most expansively affecting singles to date.

Lit matches ignites with the grungy discordance of alt-90s indie before the first verse drifts into an organically melodic acoustic pop verse. But Vashaun doesn’t settle there; in the next progression, fans of Lil Peep and Juice Wrld will be able to get their emo rap fix, but Vashaun makes the style his own with the overdriven guitars, melodic Latin infusions and dualling rap verses that could rival ICP.

It’s a rarity to find a hit that gets better with every listen, but discernibly, we’ve stumbled on sonic gold with Lit Matches. Vashaun is a firebrand that will leave the alt-rap scene ablaze.

Lit Matches was officially released on May 24; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

7ELIX found a new depth in intimacy with his emo rap vignette,  ‘CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK’

Posted on 30 May 2024

CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK taken from 7ELIX’s seminal LP, emergency exit, pt.3: death of a memory, is the perfect introduction to the Asheville, NC-born artist’s music which is offered as a salve for the outcasted soul.

The songwriter, producer and audio engineer created the ultimate testament to his motivation to advocate for mental health and suicide awareness by orchestrating this confessionally evocative emo-rap vignette of vulnerability. By illustrating the power of candid expression and giving an outlet for jagged emotions that become scars if they’re harboured for too long, he gave a lesson in catharsis in CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK.

The light production work on the intricately melodic track ensures that none of the visceral sincerity from the recording was stripped away. Painted in nocturnal light that depicts the intimacy of late-night thoughts cascading into vocalisation, CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK captures 7ELIX at his most uninhibited as he attempts to hold onto a relationship that is precariously hanging in the balance despite his tight grip on the affections that bring warmth to the bittersweet release.

It’s a heart-wrenchingly authentic release which is a clear sign of even bigger things to come from 7ELIX. We can’t wait to hear what’s lingering in the prodigy’s timeline.

CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TRELI waxed lyrical on the nature of perception in his trap track, LUX THOUGHTS

Posted on 30 May 2023

For his latest trap track, LUX THOUGHTS, the Washington DC up-and-coming luminary, TRELI went deep and dark with his introspection to illustrate how the inner workings of our mind can be our greatest enemy.

When we are at the mercy of our inner monologue, few prisoners are held; especially in the aftermath of a breakup that shakes you to your core and leaves you yearning for a brighter perspective. Written between the lines is a testament to the raw grief which manifests in the absence of someone who became a muse, confidant and the definition of the future.

LUX THOUGHTS is heavy on the melancholy with the production, which also fuses ethereal layers of old-school hip-hop, but with his deeply relatable distorted vocal lines and delicately ascending melodic motifs, TRELI ensured that the ennui doesn’t choke the atmosphere in the well-rounded hit that trap fans will want to jump on.

Stream LUX THOUGHTS on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jesus B. has unleashed his grittily twee emo love song, Love Means

Posted on 11 April 2023
https://soundcloud.com/jesus_b/love-means?si=7a223ab548a34f31860509338b3ea1d6&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

If two things on the airwaves never get enough respect or recognition, they are ukuleles and emo alt-rap; the up-and-coming alternative artist Jesus B. fused the two in his latest single, Love Means, which unravels as the ultimate scripture of bitter-sweet affection.

Bliss and agony are two sides of the same coin when it comes to love, and the diehard romanticism evolving into dejection in Love Means is the ultimate affirmation. Your breakup playlists won’t be the same without the gritty yet twee lo-fi single from the Alaskan artist, who is picking up where Lil Peep left off with his command over moody melodies. His authenticity is one thing. His ability to project intimate emotion so that it resonates with universal commonality is another entirely. We can’t wait to hear what comes next from Jesus B.

Love Means is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get swept up in the minor key momentum in P wE$t’s cinematically raw hip hop single, Smokin N Tha Rain

Posted on 17 December 2022

‘Smokin N Tha Rain’ is the cinematically melancholic standout single from P wE$t’s debut album, Permanent Timing. Despite the heavy sentiments vulnerably relayed through the rap bars, the up-and-coming artist was riding high on the new wave of hip hop in the wavey yet sharp hit which allows you to feel every ounce of urgency in the delivery.

Starting with a striking minor key piano melody and letting the atmospheric alchemy build from there, being consumed by the visceral emotion and intellectual instrumental layering is no option. P wE$t is easily one of the most underrated emo rap artists on the underground right now. Give him some love, and that will come back tenfold as you appreciate his ability to turn introspection and experience into universal resonance.

Smokin N Tha Rain is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BQpid throws away disingenuous pretence in his latest emo trap track, ‘Ceilings’

Posted on 13 August 2021

If there’s one thing that sets Ohio-residing artist BQpid’s sound apart from the rest, it is the depth of his lyrics that throw away any sense of disingenuous pretence. In his latest self-produced single, Ceilings, the atmospherically sallow indie trap melodies carry reminiscence to the likes of Post Malone and Mac Miller but with the dark undertone to Ceilings, he well and truly put himself in a league of his own.

For maximum evocative impact, the 18-year-old artist and producer worked elements of pop and RnB into the vocals in the emo-rap track that brings a brand new level of meaning to the word ‘candid’.

Ceilings is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Feeling Alone: Toronto’s Iain Grey is so numb to the heartbreaking pain on ‘Sulfate’

Posted on 10 July 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaVFXXGTIZg&feature=youtu.be

As he wonders where his life is going and tries to work out his next move, Iain Grey feels so lost in this strange world as he looks for inspiration to reach his goals on the deeply emotional new single ‘Sulfate‘.

Iain Grey is a Toronto, Canada-based music producer and indie musician who intricately fuses elements of emo rap, punk rock, grunge, trap and alternative rock into his unique hip-hop-based soundscape, that has you listening rather intently.

He courageously makes music to help his scarred soul recover from all the previous hurt, as his desire is to help others who have dealt with this unfortunate trauma that can really lock you into your own mind forever, if you aren’t careful.

”I think its important for people to realize you can take your pain and make it into something beautiful. I mean, that’s why my name is Iain Grey. “Grey” is what I have called my demons for years because nothing ever made sense. There was never an answer to my madness. Alone, I spent a whole year questioning and destroying myself because I didn’t know who I was anymore. Nothing was black or white, I never had a concrete answer. Everything was just grey. I want to show people who are just like me — the lost, confused and misunderstood — that there is a place for us in this fucked up world. We just have to fight for it and that’s why I’m going to Die Dreaming.” – Iain Grey

‘Sulfate‘ from the Canadian emo/hip hop rapper Iain Grey, is an expressive journey that is meant to show you that so many people struggle and you are not ever alone. He performs with such a deep understanding of how he is feeling, as he uses music to help break free from the walls around him, whilst wishing that others follow his lead and find the strength to do the same.

Stream this new track on YouTube and check out his IG music page for more news on his career.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

808Riot – Hide & Seek featuring Jared Anthony and Project Zak

Posted on 10 May 2021

With an intro that holds reminiscence to Sweet Dreams by the fallen goth icon, the haunting dark indie tones in the prelude to 808Riot’s latest single, Hide & Seek, featuring Jared Anthony and Project Zak, makes no bones about immersing you in this evocative firestorm.

The Queensland, Australia-based producer and engineer takes inspiration from the likes of XXXTENTACION, Internet Money and Metro Boomin. Instead of following a path of assimilation, he’s paved his own and earned plenty of acclaim in the industry as a direct result.

Hide & Seek certainly isn’t without melancholy, but you can’t help but feel galvanised by the inventive contrasts between tone and texture in the track that paints all across the tonal palette.

Hide & Seek is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast