rap – Artistic Apathy

Upcoming Artist Shares Emotional Experience With Fans

Deko is an artist out of the new wave that is seeing a meteoric rise thanks in part to his really successful song Phantasy Star Online. While Deko has been grinding for a minute, (working as a producer with credits to his name) his hit has put him on a lot of people’s radars including my own.

What caught my attention about this guy is his use of aesthetic appeal while still churning out infectious danceable beats and catchy melodies and bars. No wonder as Deko is a big fan of the very popular sub-genre of music: Nightcore (amongst other genres of dance music.)

His music videos are colorful, and filled with references to geek culture including many references to anime and Japanese culture.

It’s safe to say that he is at the forefront of a new sound that’s emerging in the underground. One filled with danceable beats, melodic flows, and many references to popular nerd culture.

That’s why last night was especially memorable. Deko was streaming on Twitch to about 100 viewers at the time. The stream felt especially intimate. The vibes were chill and everyone was having a good time. Deko took us through some of the projects he’s been working on. Which I won’t go into detail about to protect his privacy. He previewed one song in particular that absolutely stunned me.

Deko samples popular Japanese pop group Perfume for a banger that’s sure to be a hit.

Perfume (pictured above)
A-chan (far left), Kashiyuka (center), Nocchi (far right)

This blend of genres is something new and unfamiliar and somehow Deko manages to make it all work.

He later took us through some of his favorite music, featuring acts such as Perfume, Mondo Grosso, Porter Robinson, and an artist I’ve never heard before: VIRTUAL SELF. Fans in the stream got particularly emotional when Deko played some of the more sentimental songs amongst his favorites. Many fans recognized the music because they had already heard it and for those who hadn’t, they felt like they had stumbled onto something new.

Truly it was a magical moment for many, leading to many inspiring talks and rants. That is why Deko gets my seal of approval. The artist that knows how to genuinely connect with their fans can’t ever lose. This is the essence of a die hard fan base.

I for one can’t wait to see what’s next for him.

Artistic Apathy ©

Swedish Soundcloud Scene

Above is artist Yung Lean or Jonatan Leandoer, member of the rap collective Sad Boys. Although their sound is mostly derived from Hip-Hop, the music of Yung Lean, Yung Sherman and Yung Gud is often very eclectic. Pulling from many different sources, giving off a sort of Björk-like vibe.

Yung Lean truly is an all-encompassing artist and with the help of two very talented producers he often brings forth a refreshing sound that’s hard to imitate.

Sad Boys and frequent collaborators Drain Gang are at the forefront of the Hip-Hop scene in Sweden, hailing mostly from Stockholm. With these groups, the overall aesthetic of the music they create is at the forefront of everything they do. Some, even going on to become models, and to design their own clothes. It’s all apart of the image.

The overall sound pulls from many different sources, but has mostly characteristics from Hip-Hop, Electronic and Pop. Although Yung Lean claims his style “has no father like an orphan,” his influences and style can go back as far as Chief Keef and rapper SpaceGhostPurrp. There was even this interaction between SGP and Lean:

True, the sound of these two groups, Sad Boys and Yung Lean is often very hazy, cloudy and druggy. That is why many believe Lean to be the father of Cloud Rap which was a scene he was very active in from the beginning. Although not known for sure who birthed this genre (as the lineage can be traced back very far) it’s no doubt that Sad Boys and Drain Gang have done a lot for Hip-Hop in general.

If you look on popular YouTube channel デーモン Astari, many of the artists featured have a similar look and feel that seems heavily influenced by the aforementioned groups.

Lean and cohorts only get more experimental as they go but I believe their sound is becoming the future and they are spearheading something very monumental here.

The Deal With Posthumous Releases

In a day and age where late rappers are becoming a norm, we are seeing more and more of the release of posthumous work (i.e. work released after death.) A few prolific rappers stand out in this conversation, including Lil Peep, XXXTENTACION and Mac Miller.

All at the height of their success when they passed. It’s truly unfortunate we couldn’t see the further development of these artists especially when they were so ambiguous in their work and so promising.

Often when these artists die there is still a plethora of music left behind, yet to be released. In the case of Lil Peep, the rising emo rap star, there was an immense amount of work unreleased. The label partnered with frequent collaborators of Lil Peep to bring about projects that the fans could accept. Following the release of the polished Come Over When You’re Sober collection, label heads, with input from Peep’s mom decided to release the more raw and authentic Everybody’s Everything. Which doubled as a soundtrack to the documentary on his life.

A lot of controversy was stirred when the label continued to release music under Peep’s name but rest assured his mother Liza was behind it every step of the way. Saying:

“What do you do when a young artist dies long before his time, leaving behind a legacy of finished and unfinished work, and a legion of heartbroken fans?”
– Liza Womack

It seems like the honorable thing to do to honor the late artist and put out a body of work that most closely emulates what the artist in mention would have wanted.

Like stated before, this isn’t without its controversy as the bodies that distribute this late work are often met with backlash. Like when the BMW that XXXTENTACION died in was on display at an album event.

This begs the question of if an artists’ legacy is best left alone. Of course the family and friends of the artist have an idea of what the artists would have wanted in a project, single releases, etc. but the artist isn’t there to provide input.

Prior to his death, Mac Miller was busy at work on a follow up to his album Swimming. The album featured production from one producer named Jon Briar who later went on to finish the album keeping in mind the vision Miller had for it.

Again, it is nice to still get new material from an artist after their death but it often spurs a slew of questions about how exactly these releases are being handled. It seems that the ones in charge of these releases put immense thought into the given project before releasing but without the touch of the artists in question something is somewhat lacking.

That being said, you can’t please everyone. Especially on the internet. Someone will always have an opinion. Admittedly it is nice to see songs that didn’t have a proper release get one finally and for unfinished projects to see the light of day but the motives of the people at hand are often in question.

Sorry to say, these artists are gone and all we have left of them is the music. If we can continue their legacy going even for a short time, then maybe the details don’t matter so much.

Artist Profile: KOTA The Friend

Over the course of this week I had the pleasure of getting to know a rapper by the name of KOTA The Friend. It all started as I was on a quest to search for new, cutting edge lyrical rap.

Let’s just say Kota was a breath of fresh air. Everything from his delivery to his lyrics, wordplay and aesthetic.

Kota has a series of videos up on his YouTube channel. They all have a similar format but that’s what makes it so digestible. All you see is a regular looking dude with an amazing background spitting nothing but bars. There are usually some yellow subtitles at the bottom so you can follow along.

Let me tell you this dude is clever. He touches on topics from baby mommas, being a father, his hometown to mental health issues. Dude is honestly versatile and a breath of fresh air for Hip-Hop. His raps are often delivered by this calm, non-threatening tone that makes each bar connect and you never miss a beat.

Still, you can tell that he is delivering with such honesty and sincerity you can’t help but to feel it. A part from his song ‘For Colored Boys’ I personally enjoy goes like this:

And do not be afraid of change
It could be a segue way
To a better something
But have patience
And always make time for family and celebration
And every good thing in life requires dedication
Like career, wife, kids, and it’s spiritual
The point of our existence isn’t physical

I think I may have found a new favorite rapper of mine. I’ll post some recommended songs below so you can check him out: