Emerging rapper and producer Grixxly makes compelling music: his lyrics are powerful, his vocal delivery is raspy yet intense, and his hard-hitting trap beats blend with soul-infused samples to make for a sound that’s brimming with passion.
His debut EP, titled As The Fruit Ripens, is a five-track meditation on identity, growing up, and how things come and go. Opener “Blank Kanvas” sounds like it’s being played straight out of a gramophone, with a vintage piano and lush lullabies, plus a spoken interlude that strongly evokes the work of Gill Scott-Heron.
“Addie Again” picks up the pace with a strong beat, while “Blessings” (feat. Mzwaa) features a groovy synth line and Kayne-esque choral harmonies in the background.
It’s a colourful fusion of genres that Grixxly offers up, all under the veil of his hip-hop roots, and while there are tons of rap artists making the same kind of music, the thing that sets Grixxly’s sound apart from others is his mad lyrical vigour, and his dedication to doing what he loves.
