? (2018) XXXTENTACION

Written by Meenakshi Nirmalan

I haven’t listened to any of XXXTENTACION’s music in around five or six years. Not because I’ve been actively avoiding his discography but because sometimes, you find other music that you resonate with more and forget about songs you once enjoyed. I used to be an avid listener of XXXTENTACION’s music when I was 14, unironically viewing him as profound. I watched every interview that I could find. He was never my favourite rapper by any means, yet I was absolutely transfixed. I wasn’t the only one. Even today, when I type XXXTENTACION’s name into YouTube, the amount of material keeps expanding; there are a plethora of fan edits, interviews and analytical videos. Born Jahseh Onfroy, XXXTENTACION rapidly grew popular on Soundcloud and since, seems to have amassed a cult following and built a brand off of his distinct image. This momentum has been kept up, even after his death. XXXTENTACION is a highly controversial figure. It’s always interesting to see people online drop XXXTENTACION lore, as if they knew him personally. It’s impossible to make definitive statements about what artists were like, objectively; always take everything you read with a grain of salt. Ultimately, I’m more interested in writing about music, as opposed to speculating about artists’ characters.

I found XXXTENTACION’s music just a few months after his death. Look at Me! - which isn’t on the album ? - was the first song of his I listened to. I was drawn to the brash, aggressive sound, the crassness of his lyrics. Just like his personality, XXXTENTACION’s music is also divisive. Anthony Fantano gave the album a 4/10. Granted, upon re-listening to ?, it’s not as great as I once believed it to be. Still, I don’t think the album is completely one-dimensional; there are moments of merit. ?  isn’t groundbreaking, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy particular tracks from the body of work. XXXTENTACION begins the album with Introduction (instructions). It does what it says on the tin; the track is essentially a voice note-style explanation to the album. XXXTENTACION urges the listener to ‘open your mind before you listen to this album’, because of its ‘alternative sound.’ Some might find this profound, arguing that it’s no different to a foreword in a book. Others will view it as pretentious. In my view, it’s unnecessary and could have been cut. Artists are often faced with the urge to over-explain and justify each minute aspect of their work to their audience. However, once your art is available to the public, the modes of interpretation will multiply. Sometimes you just have to let go.

Despite this, there are many tracks on ? I still enjoy. I can see why XXXTENTACION is considered enigmatic; it’s difficult to know what to make of him. He has a soft-spoken demeanour in his interviews. Whilst many of the tracks on the album have an aggressive sound, ? pairs XXXTENTACION’s hypermasculine front with moments of vulnerability, neither of which feel inauthentic. There are a few tracks where the sound is more stripped back. For example, ALONE, PART 3 features tender vocals, accompanied by an acoustic guitar playing simple repeated riffs. A piano kicks in, playing single notes. It’s minimalistic, embellishing the soundscape in a subtle manner. The album’s outro, before I close my eyes, is similar in its soundscape. My favourite track from this album is, however, remedy for a broken heart (why am I so in love). I like his flow over the phrase ‘why am I so in love?’ which he sings repeatedly in the background. It’s not lyrically special. Lines such as, ‘What is money even worth if it ain’t love?’ would feel profound to a younger audience, so I understand his appeal to this demographic. The rap opens with ‘Steady tryin’ to maintain / Same things that’ll blow a bitch mind frame / My brain can’t fathom what the hate say / He say, she say, how ‘bout me say? / Get the Visa, headed to the islands A-S-A-P’. I’ve never had an issue with silly lyrics; I appreciate the pace, the momentum of the delivery. He goes on to rap, ‘Mix a little bit of weed with a little bit of cash / With a little bit of this with a little bit of that.’ It’s lacking, lyrically, but hits rhythmically.

Contrasting the acoustic tracks, a lot of the songs on ? have a trap feel. Moonlight and SAD! have a chill, mellow ambience. However, I remember enjoying SAD! much more when I was younger – it’s too angsty for my taste now. Likewise, Moonlight sounded better in my memories. I also like the start of going down! but feel that the quality deteriorates as the song progresses. These aforementioned tracks are decent but ultimately are best  enjoyed as mindless background noise. More upbeat trap tracks include $$$ (feat. Matt OX) and SMASH! (feat. PnB Rock),  which again, I can enjoy while acknowledging their lack of substance. Floor 555 is more aggressive. It epitomises the scream rap style that originally drew me to XXXTENTACION. Floor 555’s soundscape feels distorted; screaming rap, accentuated by fast hi-hat flourishes on the drum machine. Even so, Floor 555 feels like filler. Alongside many tracks on ?, it doesn’t seem to add anything to the album except in length.

With that being said, XXXTENTACION weaves between genres well. Infinity (888) (feat. Joey Bada$$) utilises a laid-back, jazzy sample, reminiscent of old-school East Coast hip-hop. It’s not as lyrically deft as it could have been, but the flow is solid. At the start of the track, Joey and XXXTENTACION discuss diseases such as ‘chlamydia’ and ‘gonorrhoea’ in earnest, with Joey stating ‘I catch all diseases in the world / So the world won’t have no more diseases, you feel me?’. I did a quick search on Genius Lyrics to see if this line had an annotation, and indeed it did. Apparently, this highlights how Joey is ‘willing to experience all the pain and evil in the world’ in order to keep ‘everyone else safe.’ That’s very noble of him. Pain = BESTFRIEND features Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, infusing elements of pop-punk. The opening riff of this song reminds me of classic Blink-182 tracks, such as Adam’s Song. Barker’s drumming is clean and XXXTENTACION’s vocals are strong, both on calmer, melodic phrases as well as screaming. schizophrenia features a staccato guitar riff. It’s nicely oblique, accompanying XXXTENTACION’s whispering. I enjoy the track’s arc; the drums and guitar build up in the middle, giving schizophrenia a nu-metal feel. I don’t even speak spanish lol (feat. Rio Santana, Judah, Andrez Babii) is a vibrant track, influenced by contemporary Latin music. Though it’s not the best example of the genre, I like the track’s ambience. It starts off with solely the strum of the guitar. The bass kicks in gradually, followed by the drums. The track is undeniably upbeat and fun. Relistening to XXXTENTACION’s material, ? feels loose in places. The album doesn’t resonate the way it once did, however, it has many commendable elements. Ultimately, the phenomenon of his cult following will still baffle me.