One of the biggest effects that the internet has had on music is the violent demolition of genre conventions, embodied perfectly by the endless parade of microgenres that have originated on forums and online platforms; we’re talking Black MIDI, Dariacore, Egg Punk, Witch House and hundreds more. While each of these is worthy of its own article, today we’re talking about the new kid on the block in underground rap: Jerk, a genre characterized by off-kilter rhythms, atmospheric production and eccentric vocal performances. While Jerk started as a small, meme-adjacent subculture within the cloud rap scene, its posterboy Xavier Lopez, aka “Xaviersobased,” has emerged as one of the hottest rappers in the underground today, and has finally put out his major label debut record: “Xavier.” His main goal for this album seems to be to explore every crevice of his distinct sound, putting ideas out there not as fully formed radio-ready songs, but instead as pieces of instant gratification for his hyperactive audience. The results are mixed.
To start, we must touch on Xavier’s vocals. He makes Playboi Carti seem restrained. He leaps octaves, changes deliveries, deliberately raps offbeat and, of course, he mumbles. If there were ever a rapper worthy of the label “mumble rap,” it is Xavier. When his lyrics can be understood, they are often riddled with internet references, ranging from obscure political terminology to gamer slang. While his unconventional delivery certainly compliments his lyrics, it also reflects the album’s warped production, particularly on the wacky standout “iPhone 16.” Still, his refusal to settle into the pocket can also make songs that would otherwise be slam-dunk bangers, such as the instantly catchy “Wrk Wrk,” far less effective. He may have ambition as a performer, but he lacks the restraint necessary to reliably craft coherent tracks.
As for the production, the beats are ear-catchingly odd. More often than not, they consist of a few prominent components sticking out of an amorphous ambient swirl. On “Clorox,” for instance, the percussion is all but completely drowned out by the enormous synth chords, and the closer “Party At My Place” (featuring Skrillex) is mostly composed of single dubstep bass notes. When percussion takes center stage, it does so as a flurry of computer noise rather than the standard hip hop arrangements that define the work of Xavier’s contemporaries. An example of this is “Give it Up,” featuring rapper OsamaSon.
Additionally, the album features a whopping 20 tracks, many of which don’t crack two minutes in length. This works for the most part, as it allows Xavier to explore many different sonic palettes and song ideas without running them into the ground. On the other hand, there were also points where I left songs feeling as though they were simply not finished, such as “Minute.” These tracks are tailor-made for young people whose shortened attention spans are hindered further by high doses of stimulants.
These creative decisions, no matter how well they land on any particular listener, all contribute to this record’s core appeal. While its influences can still be felt — Lil B, Yung Lean and Bladee especially — Xavier delivers a sound that is unapologetically his own. He is an artist that could only exist in the modern age of the internet, where even the most visceral and minimal bangers of the Soundcloud era have started to feel like relics of times past. He’s also a breath of fresh air in modern hip-hop. When rappers who were once trailblazers have fallen back on unoriginal paint-by-numbers schlock, and “underground” artists can get hits by running on the fumes of decades-old aesthetics, it’s always a treat when an overenthusiastic kid comes in to shake things up. While there are few hip hop conventions that Xavier adheres to, he follows its most precious rule: originality. And I have to commend him for that.
Overall, I had a good enough time with this record. It’s still something of a curiosity for me, and it’s definitely not an album I see myself returning to often, but it’s wacky enough to keep me interested even as it veers a little too far off the beaten track. I recommend you check it out, especially if you’re bored.
