RXKNephew shares “debut album”Till I’m Dead
The 20-track LP, a collaboration with the producer Rx Brainstorm, is the first project Neph has recorded completely sober, per a press release.
Deawnne Buckmire
RXKNephew (fkaRXK Nephew) is known for his ultra-prolific output as much as he is for the eccentric, free-flowing bars that have endeared him to so many new fans over the past two years. Nevertheless, he’s calling his new project — dropped today with very little warning — his debut album.Till I’m Deadis an hour-long, 20-track LP that takes inspiration for its title and cover art fromThe Notorious B.I.G.’s own 1994 debut,Ready to Die. (Thursday, March 9 was the 26th anniversary of Biggie’s assassination, which occurred just two weeks before the release of his second record,Life After Death.)
According to a press release,Till I’m Deaddiffers from RXK’s many other album-length projects in two key respects: It’s the first he’s worked on with only one producer (his close affiliateBrainstorm). And, perhaps more importantly to Neph, it’s the only one so far that he’s recorded completely sober, marking a milestone in both his career and his personal life.
Sonically, it’s relatively similar to Neph’s normal fare, a series of singular observations delivered over pluggnb-leaning instrumentation. Cohesion is a quality that’s difficult to discern on a first listen, and the record doesn’t seem to hone in on an overarching concept the way his 2021 masterpieceSlitherman Activated所做的事。但轨道more centered on a single aesthetic than in previous releases, a testament to Brainstorm’s strong touch behind the boards.
Till I’m Deadarrives alongside a characteristically lo-fi yet highly inventive visual treatment. Watch the clip and stream the album in full below.
