RXK is on beat, and I’m sad?

Design by Diego Gonzalez

By Griff Giacchino

The people rejoice as RXKNephew releases his 73rd album, WHOLE LOTTA RXK. While we have come to know and enjoy RXK’s attack-the-beat style of flow, this album is a complete switch-up. His older songs often felt like each bar was recorded separately, which created a fun, almost syncopated sound. He now sounds like he is doing verses in a take and changing his flow. On WHOLE LOTTA RXK, his voice is softer and has nearly none of his iconic rasp, and his lyrics feel less satirical and more like bragging. RXK is known for his satire; some might even refer to him as a “gimmick rapper”, but this album felt more like a victory lap for his current level of success. While we still get that classic RXK lyricism, with lines like, “Kick yo dead body, kick yo dead body, kick yo dead body (Damn), kick yo dead body, kick yo dead body, kick yo dead body (Damn), kick yo dead body (Damn)” from the song “Ain’t Luck”, the lyrical topics are more toned down and match more traditional themes and ideas of flexing and success often found in rap. On his past albums, no one could ever guess what he was going to say next, but this album feels more predictable; there aren’t many lyrics that make you do a musical double-take. 

For this album, RXK hired two new producers, MVW and CHASETHEMONEY. While the beats are well produced and unique at times, they do not match the chemistry that RXK and his previous producer Brainstorm had. Brainstorm’s beats sound like RXK’s voice, they have an unpredictable and intense feel that perfectly matches RXK’s voice and lyricism. On WHOLE LOTTA RXK, he slows down his flow and softens the sound of his voice. While his voice changes, his lyrical tone remains somewhat similar to what he used to sound like just calmed down, which has a weird contrast with the more melodic beats. It makes sense that CHASETHEMONEY has produced for artists like J.Cole, JID, and Lucky, the vibe of the album sounding like a clash of all three. The beats are very high quality and well-produced, and this album could be thoroughly enjoyed by new listeners or those who were not fans in the first place, but if you are looking for that classic RXKNephew sound, this is not the album for you. If this is the direction RXK wants to take with his music, there is room to grow, and if that is the sound he wants, I’m sure he will find a way to make it his own. 

Album Rating: 6.5/10