Throughout the past decade, Britain’s dominant style of rap has come to be found in the “drill” subgenre. Defined by its hard beats and even harder vocals about killing people, committing crimes, and the most dangerous aspects of street life as a whole. In a scene still dominated by artists who encapsulate these sentiments at their highest degree, Yxngxr1 finds himself embodying everything that drill isn’t.
With his bright dyed hair and his equally colorful wardrobe, he is a product of the online era. His music is heavily influenced by the Internet and popular culture, with his own personal experiences of growing up thrown into the mix.
Arguably the two most telling representations of his influences projected in his own style are found within “Old Skool Vans” and “Old Skool Vans Pt. 2” — the latter of which was featured on his debut project Childhood Dreams.
The tracks have an oddly nostalgic yet playful and relevant quality to them. He includes clever bars about wearing brands like GOLF, having flame chains, and even mentioning the iconic White Air Force Ones.
His most popular song “Tyler, The Creator” (shortened to just “Tyler” on most streaming services), captures the nostalgic feeling present in the rest of his discography, while incorporating heartbroken lyrics paired with an upbeat melody. The song is produced by frequent collaborator Lil Biscuit, who also had worked on past offerings like “Riley Reid” and “Nickelodeon.”
From his elaborate and loud fashion to his calming and feel good music, Yxngxr1 has already proven himself to be quite the unique artist within a scene that does not see many like him. With his final track for 2019 “Sucker For Your Love” on the horizon, it is only onto bigger and better things for this up and coming artist. You can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloud under the handle @yxngxr1.
Written by Nick Tahan