Up-and-coming rapper Lil Xan proves he’s part of the ‘new normal’ of rap music with “Wake Up.” That new normal being lazy rhymes built on platitudes spat over generic, minimalist, but hard-nosed beat.

What will rap music look like in 2018? That is a legitimate question.  2017 was all about a number of random, young rappers breaking through to the mainstream, somehow.  Most of those rappers had a following on SoundCloud, with others having a following on various social platforms.  That’s the case with Lil Xan, who experienced his share of success with single, “Betrayed.” Also, worth nothing, he released the single “Far”, which was, um, interesting. He’s back with another joint, “Wake Up.” 

“Wake Up” is brief, just crossing the two-minute mark.  That is a blessing because this record contains no substance whatsoever.  There is no nutritional value – no fiber, no protein, and vitamins.  What does bode well in the favor of Lil Xan is an utterly dumb hook that easily gets stuck in one’s head: “Ay, I wake up, I throw up, I feel like I’m dead.” Yep, that’s deep stuff alright.

Lil Xan manages to string together two verses and a bridge – somehow. On the first verse, he begins by bragging, “Ay, I fucked the game up.”  That may actually be true, but not in the context that the rapper frames it.  The result of the verse is platitude after tired platitude – “my own lane,” “bitch is lame,” etc.  The bridge is questionable – literally! “What you mean?” Following another dosage of that stupid, infectious hook, we get a verse where Xan is even lazier. Everything is pink, including “Pink beans,” while naturally “Your bitch want sex…” and of course, “Pink roses, pink lean, pink Audis.” Geez Louise.

Final Thoughts 

It’s finally happened, and I never thought it would.  The older I get, the less I understand the ‘new guard,’ particularly when it comes to rap.  Lil Xan is just the latest new comer to spit some of the laziest lyrics ever over a tried-and-true, ‘been there, done that’ beat, and yet it could potentially catch fire.  Whatever.  Personally, this is “not my cup of tea,” but “to each his own.” Listening to this, “I feel like I’m dead.”

Lil Xan • Wake Up – Single • Columbia • Release: 12.26.17

Photo Credit: Columbia