Ahead of his posthumous album, ‘Skins,’ late rapper/singer XXXTENTACION releases an ultra-brief, vibe-filled promo single, “BAD.”

Posthumous music runs rampant these days, particularly courtesy of late musicians who had beaucoup unreleased material.  Prince, for example, has a vault full of unreleased albums, hence why Piano & a Microphone 1983 came to light (Prince likely would NOT have released the project himself).  XXXTENTACION sadly passed away at just 20 years old, following the success of his no. 1 album, ?.  Despite being taken way too soon (controversies aside), the rapper/singer has a new album, Skins, arriving December 7, 2018.  Brief single “BAD,” the fifth track of an ultra-skinny 10-track affair, leads the charge.

How brief is “BAD”? It’s just north of one-and-a-half-minutes in duration.  Honestly, it’s more of an interlude as opposed to full-length song.  That said, XXXTENTACION has released many short records, so it’s not uncharacteristic.  Also, worth noting, there is a vibe is set from the onset, and that’s part of the appeal and charm of the late rapper/singer. “BAD” is respectably produced (John Cunningham and Robert Soukiasyan), but it’s nothing game changing or particularly innovative. As for the singing itself, XXX has a nice, somewhat haunting tone, but  the words don’t always sound clear.

Final Thoughts

Hardcore fans of XXXTENTACION will likely find plenty of enjoyability and value in “BAD,” as well as Skins as an album.  For those of us less enthused, or at least curious as to how the rapper/singer might evolve, we still have questions, and they won’t be answered.  The form of “BAD” remains unconventional, while the song feels incomplete, clearly leaving the desire for more.  Unfortunately, nobody can change the result that is death, so we’ll never know the complete visions that XXXTENACION had in mind.  Merely okay at best.

XXXTENTACION » Skins » Bad Vibes Forever / EMPIRE » Release: 12.7.18

Photo Credits: Bad Vibes Forever / EMPIRE