A shining North star fell on the 18th of June & the whole hip hop community was thrown into turmoil. Last two weeks saw the death of a rising rap superstar cum singing sensation, XXXtentacion. What a shocker! I didn’t believe the news at first.
As I write this article, my stereo speakers are blasting his last/2nd album ‘?’, released on March 12, 2018. The genius of the young man is undeniable, even his ‘haters’ and critics will admit.
XXXtentacion was the tragic hero whose music was both “comforting and discomforting” same time. In him, young people of his generation found an artist they could relate with, someone who shared their pains. Unlike most rappers who majorly brag about wealth & riches they seldom possess. XXX was a music genius, no doubt about that.
Arguably, XXXtentacion was the most talented of all the young rappers who blew up out of the USA in the last two years (no disrespect to Kodak Black).
Kodak Black was more hardcore, streetwise and direct whereas XXXtentacion was more versatile, lucid and his message was clearer. His last album, ‘?’ had a mix of rock, rap, trap, heavy metal, and RnB.
He rapped with the flow of a veteran on ‘Infinity 888’, buoyed on by the presence of an equally-competent Joey Badass. He sang his heart out in ‘Hope’, a song he dedicated to victims of a school shooting. At 20, his body of work, musically, was more mature than his age.
Finally, it was looking like someone could validly challenge Drake’s throne. And that someone was XXXtentacion! No wonder Drake was once accused of stealing his flow in the song, ‘Look at Me.’
Death is inevitable. We all must die one day or another. That’s a settled case. Yet it still pains our hearts when we lose anybody, not to talk of a loved one, not to even talk of such a rising star who influenced lives through his music.
Ever since Xxxtentacion was shot on June 18, famous celebs like Kanye West, Jidenna, J. Cole, Juicy J, and many others have posted tributes on social media. Kanye spoke of how Xxxtentacion’s music inspired him. XXX’s best friend, Ski Mask the Slump God offered to take over his charity concerns.
XXX has broken all streaming /sales records since he was shot dead. Few hours after he was pronounced dead by the hospital, his album went up from number 52 to 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. ‘SAD!’, from the 2nd album is currently topping Billboard 100.
His increase in fame after death simply reminds me of 2pac. It reminds me of Biggie, of Dagrin and many such legends. And it buttresses my conclusion that something is wrong with humanity.
The world is full of hypocrisy, everyone is fake nowadays. They show love when you’re dead or in jail. This was a guy who battled depression, whose sadness & heaviness of heart reflected in his music. By the time he died, he was on trial for alleged battery & violence against his girlfriend.
The same girlfriend, Geneva Ayala attended his memorial and was even protesting being ‘kicked out‘ of the vigil! Those who never listened to his songs while he was alive now do so probably because they just feel sorry or out of curiosity.
Apparently, people wait for you to die before they say good stuffs about you. You will hardly find anyone criticising a dead man. But we criticise our friends, talk behind their back.
Why wait for XXX to die before buying his records? Why wait for him to stop breathing before appreciating his art. He can’t even revel in the glory no more. He’s dead already motherf***ers!!!
That’s why we should keep it real with those who keep it real with us. Christianity even preaches being nice to strangers (those who don’t like us). You never know how much you miss your friends till they’re no more.
Appreciate your good friends while you can, you never know who’s next tomorrow. Hug your parents for no reason. Just give him or her a kiss.
…Or maybe we’re all sick. I probably wouldn’t have been inspired to write this article if XXXtentacion was alive. So maybe the world is just messed up like that.
Tomiwa Olasiyan's Blog 