Following the news of the tragic death of Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy aka XXXTentacion, I briefly reminisce on the music I covered by the rapper.

As a music blogger, it’s always a sad occasion when an artist you’ve covered dies. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of the artist not – you feel that you lost something yourself.  Sadly, tragedy struck rapper XXXTentacion (Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy) on Monday, June 18, 2018.  The rising star was shot and killed at just 20 years old.  While Onfroy was a truly complex, controversial person, it’s incredibly sad see a youngster lose his life, particularly senselessly.  I won’t dive into the controversies here – there are plenty of great articles written about that.  What I will do is reminisce back on the music I’ve personally listened to and reviewed by the rapper.

Kanye West, Joey Bada$$, Lil Xan & More React to XXXTentacion’s Death

“Look at Me!”

While there have been rappers that I have covered more in depth than XXXTentacion, he certainly impacted my ‘mega-playlist.’  My first encounter was the incredibly loud and unapologetic “Look at Me!” a record that lacked total self-control. The single exemplifies the SoundCloud sound with its heavy distortion and repetitive, explicit lyrics.  A single like “Look at Me!” also exemplifies part of the reason why ‘X’ was controversial.

“Can’t keep my dick in my pants… / I gave her dick, she amen / She put her tongue on my dick… / F**k on me, look at me…”

“Gospel”

Other singles covered included the banger “Gospel” which paired him with Rich Chigga (now Rich Brian) and Keith Ape.  XXXTentacion spat the first verse, as well as the bridge.  On the verse, he exhibits an ‘in-your-face’ style, filled with violence, reference to drugs, and of course, sex.  The bridge is repetitive, characterized by his use of the f-bomb.  Again, it’s ‘fuel for the fire’ to why he was so controversial, coupled with his personal problems and being the product of a rough upbringing.  Additionally, I covered his collaboration with Noah Cyrus on “Again”.

?

I skipped reviewing 17, which debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 behind Luv is Rage 2 (Lil Uzi Vert).  Still, I was impressed by the nuance and thoughtfulness that he showed on “Jocelyn Flores,” something I truly wouldn’t have expected from him after “Look at Me” and “Gospel.”  I did cover ?, however, which debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Going into the project, I wasn’t particularly optimistic, and admittedly, the SoundCloud rap movement isn’t really my thing.

That said, my headline summed up my feelings regarding the project:

“XXXTentacion returns with another brief, eclectic effort, ‘?’. The album is ‘all over the place,’ but has its fair share of moments.”

?, like many of the SoundCloud rap-related offerings, wasn’t for me.  But, I gave X credit where credit was due, for the likes of “SAD!”, “NUMB,” “infinity (888)” featuring Joey Bada$$, and “Changes”. Both “SAD!” and “Changers” were advance singles, reviewed prior to the album.  Ultimately, the album would earn a respectable three-star rating out of five stars.

Final Thoughts 

Artistically, I found XXXTentacion to be intriguing partially because I wasn’t sure what direction he was going head in post-?.  Clearly, it seemed the former XXL Freshman didn’t want to be pigeonholed, which is incredibly respectable.  It’s sad that, much like Lil Peep, we won’t see what else he was going to bring to the table.  To those who are being disrespectful in his death, I would urge you to remember, again, that a 20-year old has tragically lost his life.

Photo Credits: Bad Vibes Forever, EMPIRE