LowKeyytm has been putting out consistent music over the last few years and with each new single or album there’s growth and evolution of his trademark sound. From his strung-out moody rockstar energy on his Damaged Goods EP to his collaborative efforts on The Lost Gen tape, one constant remains. In each new project, we see a spectrum of emotional lyrics that read like a diary into his life and where he’s currently at. This new drill rap effort is no different!
In an age where emo rap is becoming somewhat stale and saturated, there are few artists who continually work at evolving their sound the way LowKeyytm does. While the modern-day basics are all there like the emotional instrumentals paired with the auto-tuned vocals, he adds his own brand to everything he does that’s hard to replicate. Not many artists of the genre can swap out hip hop, trap, rock, and pop beats and still slide on them vocally the way he does without sacrificing what makes his sound his own.
A New Drill Rap Experience
This brings us to LowKeyytm’s latest project ‘Wake Up.’ Released on April 14, 2023, the new album is three tracks, just under eight minutes long. Each song pushes his sound in a different direction – especially the self-titled first track.
The first track comes in with the most energetic instrumental I’ve heard from him yet. Until he comes in with the first bar it’s not even apparent that it’s him. Drill rap has certainly had a comeback lately but nothing sounds quite like what he’s doing. A lot of the more mainstream drill rap I’ve heard still falls into the gangster rap category, with a drum-like tempo in the lyric delivery. Instead, his approach is to tackle the drill sound like it’s an emo beat, singing over it with more of a tight approach and not lingering on any one line.
Lyrically, the track begins with what feels like a sequel to his last project ‘Damaged Goods.’ That EP tackled themes of self-reflection and moving forward with his personal life and past relationships. In this project, we get a different side of TM. No longer looking back and reflecting on the past in a vulnerable state, instead, we see a colder, calculated, and more defensive side of him with just the first line.
“Keep my distance. Ain’t trippin about people no more. Petty feelings, leave them at the door.”
The entirety of the track stays on point with his message. Shedding the weight to move forward while leaving behind toxic relationships. Not just pointing the finger to blame others, but taking into account the consistency in his work output.
“I’m sorry I was away. I’m here to stay, won’t let things get away.”
Back to the Roots
The next two tracks are more of a return to form in the way of dreamy emotional melodies. The lyrics on both ‘No Remorse’ and ‘Feels’ delve deeper into his reasoning for moving forward and leaving the past behind. While the second track focuses more on losing friendships the third and final track has him explaining his internal anxiety and keeping it bottled up, backed up by some great trap drums and orchestral loops.
While both are good tracks in their own right, it’s no question the star of the show is the first track. It says the most, catches your attention and demonstrates a new wave of drill rap I haven’t heard before.
It’s refreshing to see TM move forward and pull himself up in such an original way. I enjoyed this project thoroughly and I’m really excited for whatever we get next. Judging by the content of this song alone I can guess with confidence that it’s going to be sooner than later.
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