Controversial Florida rapper, XXXtentacion, has been on fire ever since he was released from jail in March of this year. While he was locked up, his popularity gained massively, attaining the ear of the mainstream with his hit song “look at me” as well as gaining a cult following on the internet with some of his more unknown songs. His style is all over the place, having songs that are similar to popular hip hop today, some with a heavy metal influence, some with an R and B influence, and some more emo.
On August 25th he dropped his newest installment, “17”.
Overall this album is very different than his past releases. He dives deep into the struggles he faces with depression and live events. The first track is titled “The Explanation”, and is his voice talking about the contents of the album, warning about the severity and seriousness he put into it.
The second track, “Jocelyn Flores” is a song he wrote about a friend of his that committed suicide. The song starts out with a distorted sample of what sounds like a woman talking, which he uses throughout the song. The instrumental is pretty simple, but sounds just right. The lyrics show the pain he feel from Jocelyn’s death.
The third track “Depression and Obsession” carries the glum, melancholy vibes as the last one. Guitar strumming and dubbed over well-done vocals with a little bit of screaming here and there. This is very similar to other tracks on the album, straying away from the hip hop sound.
The fourth song, “Everybody Dies In Their Nightmares” has more of a hip hop feel to it as far as his flow goes, but using the same depressing sample as in the second track. This song definitely could've had more to it because it seems just as he decides to go into the first verse its ends abruptly and he repeats lines he said earlier in the song.
Number five, “Revenge” is a song he released and performed months before and is well put together. No hip hop trace at all mostly guitar and vocals.
Number six, “Save Me” starts out with a slow melancholy instrumental that is reminiscent of soft rock. Starting out with muffled vocals, then as the song progresses, carries over to more clear vocals that incite depressed emotional upon the listener.
Number seven, “Dead Inside” is his album interlude and is just his voice over a piano that sounds like it was not recorded in a studio. On this track X flexes his vocal ability with the absence of studio tools.
Number eight, “Fuck Love” is this album's most mainstream sounding song, and feature rapper Trippie Red. The introductory vocals sound a bit like Lil Uzi Vert. But the overall feel still has a sad vibe.
Number nine, “Carry On” has the same sample as mentioned before for the introduction. This one has more of a hip hop instrumental as well, although it is really slow. He fades in and out of being distorted and just like the rest of the songs, melancholy vibes are present.
Track number ten, “Orlando”, is one of the best put together song on this album. It is mixed and mastered very well. It persists of vocals and piano.
The outro, “Ayala” does a good job of wrapping the album up. Piano, guitar and drums are present follow with pretty decent vocals.
This album did well in showing XXXtentacion’s versatility as an artist and not just rapper.
