Reading Time: 2 min read

3 out of 5 stars

Lil Xan, Lies [Photo Credit: Columbia]Lil Xan remains busy beyond the ‘TOTAL XANARCHY,’ dropping a new single, “Lies,” assisted by rising Pennsylvanian rapper, Lil Skies.

“Pray to god like Allah / Please slit my throat / And when you lie, I wanna die / Please slit my throat.” Hmm… SoundCloud rappers are quite prolific, even if the quality of their content is highly debatable (*coughs* understatement).  Lil Xan, following the release of TOTAL XANARCHY  in April 2018, is back again with a new single, “Lies,” featuring Lil Skies. Just last week, he was a featured guest on “Crazy Shit” by southern rapper, Skooly.  Safe to say, the 21-year old stays busy. The big, burning question is, is he becoming a better-rounded rapper?

WELLLL, the Bobby Johnson production is a pro, and definitely gives Lil Xan a lift.  Following the aforementioned excepted hook, Xan at least raps with more clarity and slightly fewer ad-libs compared to his work on TOTAL XANARCHY.  The problem is, he still comes off pretty uninspired to be a rapper, where the use of clever lyrics is extremely important.  The bars are better, but his legitimacy remains questionable. Lil Skies easily has the better verse, with a more energetic flow and generally more to say.  That said, there’s little poetic about lines like “Way too depressed to express how I feel / Only smoke weed, sometimes on pills…” or “My hands on her hips, fell in love with her lips / Make her swallow my kids…” Ugh. #Basic


Final Thoughts

So, what to make of “Lies.”  Ultimately, the record is okay.  It’s not great, nor is it plumb awful.  I’ve definitely heard worse from Lil Xan – MUCH WORSE.  Is this a record that piques my interest or I would personally return to? Nah, but likely fans of either of these artists will be quick to call this a banger.  For me, “it was just al’ight for me, dawg.”


Lil Xan • Lies (Ft. Lil Skies) – Single • Columbia • Release: 7.13.18
Photo Credit: Columbia

the musical hype

the musical hype (Brent Faulkner) has earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music (music education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and freelance music blogger. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.