During his short life, rapper XXXTentacion gathered a cult-like following of fervent supporters and fans of his brooding, angsty style. One of the more visible figures of emo-leaning SoundCloud rap, the Florida-based artist incorporated elements of nu-metal bombast and narcotic R&B into his usually dark and violent output. He was a worldwide sensation at the peak of his fame when he was murdered in June of 2018 at age 20. Following his death, a glut of posthumous XXXTentacion material appeared, from singles or features on ...
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During his short life, rapper XXXTentacion gathered a cult-like following of fervent supporters and fans of his brooding, angsty style. One of the more visible figures of emo-leaning SoundCloud rap, the Florida-based artist incorporated elements of nu-metal bombast and narcotic R&B into his usually dark and violent output. He was a worldwide sensation at the peak of his fame when he was murdered in June of 2018 at age 20. Following his death, a glut of posthumous XXXTentacion material appeared, from singles or features on other artists' songs to the short album Skins, which arrived in late 2018. Bad Vibes Forever was originally planned as the rapper's debut album, but was pushed back and still taking shape at the time of his death. Finally arriving as a 25-track, nearly hour-long postmortem release, Bad Vibes Forever is a feature-heavy stylistic grab bag in tribute to the late rapper with guest spots from Lil Wayne, Trippie Redd, Rick Ross, Joey Bada$$, and many others. Along with XXX's muttering flows on tracks like "The Only Time I Feel Alive," and the grizzly rap-metal yowling of "Chase/Glass Shards," the lengthy album offers of plenty of acoustic guitar-based songs, and moments of dancehall and cloudy experimental production amid more conventional radio-ready tracks. The melancholic sung hooks and organic drum sounds of the Trippie Redd-assisted title track sound almost heartfelt in their longing, and XXX explores both aggression and subtlety with full commitment. "Wanna Grow Old (I Won't Let Go)" is a beatless song built on looped cello plucks and lamenting vocals, and the murky acoustic guitar of "Ugly" sounds like an unexpected attempt to replicate Grouper's distinctive ambient pop. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi
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