ALBUM REVIEW: RXK Nephew - Till I'm Dead

    I've felt slightly rap-deprived so far this year, although I suppose beggars for new music can't be choosers - most of the material I've heard this year has mainly been in the rock or pop territory, with the occasional rap project thrown in between the Cicada and the Fart Lunge doses. That isn't to say it's been completely absent from my system, but all of these projects save for slowthai's UGLY has left quite a bit to be desired when its all said and done - there's a distinct possibility that this will change, however (especially considering that the long awaited SCARING THE HOES collab between JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown released today). Brief tangent aside, RXK Nephew's new album isn't necessarily the most competent hip-hop album I've heard so far, nor is it even necessarily more skillful than some other projects I've heard. No, RXK Nephew's shining facet on this album is in his ridiculous charisma and sense of humor, as well as mostly solid production throughout. The end result isn't necessarily a mind-blower, but it's a fun enough project.

    Two aspects generally do the most to carry Till I'm Dead to the finish line with a decent amount of momentum and energy, and the first of these is the overall production quality and sound of this album. Producer Brainstorm has produced for RXK Nephew in the past, as well as other select artists on some occasions, and when anyone listens to this album they're going to hear what is relatively solid production through and through, albeit not overly adventurous production. Most of the album generally falls along minimal production - fat 808s, more icy synths and pianos, and sparse drumming usually make up the instrumentation of the album. While it can sound empty at points ("On My Mind" is an ironically named song, because it isn't), for what Nephew is doing it works, and some bombastic moments do fill in the spots to at least give you the occasional arm shot - the penultimate "Dance Song" is the most active the production on the album, only fitting for a song with such a name, and it's all the better for it. Other moments like "Critical", if not wowing to me, at least have solid energy with the production and Nephew.

    Speaking of Nephew, it's his wacko rapping and word use that carries this album. While he's not exactly the best rapper or lyricist there is in the scene, the appeal is in his lines - he is fucking hilarious. Whether or not a line like "I hate my opps with a fucking passion" from the explosive "1000MPH" is meant to be funny or not is still up in the air to me, but I don't want to know. Nephew's out-of-pocket one-liners and ridiculously quotable bars are undoubtedly a little goofy, but that is the entire appeal to me. Be it his affirmation that he's "Doin' what he's doin'" on the self-explanatory "What Im Doin" or him saying "You got your bitch ass robbed, oh well" on "Neph vs the Universe", the latter of which makes me laugh every single time I hear it, Nephew's lines are filled with ridiculous moments that are truly the saving grace of this album. It's not all jokes, and a song like "Do It For You" is surprisingly earnest given the rest of the album. Still, this is Nephew's sense of humor and personality on full display here, and the result is an undeniable quirk that doesn't really cease to make me grin a little bit.

     It's a bit repetitive, and admittedly the rapping does fall flat at a few points, but Till I'm Dead is able to make up for it quite a bit with some solid enough production, and more than anything one hell of a personality. Nephew's sense of humor and style helps elevate what could've otherwise been a mediocre release into the territory of a solid enough rap release for the year, even if there still exists better releases. Maybe if you have a greater tolerance for minimalist rap (even with its repetition), you'll have found a new favorite here. Regardless, Nephew brings some good laughs here.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Till I'm Dead