Zach Schilmoeller

No one is changing the game as much as New York’s Xavier is right now. His abstract, experimental, and sometimes off-key style takes inspiration from the likes of Bladee, Lil B, Hi-C, Chief Keef, and others. His goofy lyrics are often quoted, but despite his silly personality, he can also put down some hard-hitting bars. Xavier and the groups that he was/is in like 1c, NOVAGANG and SoEvilBoyz are responsible for the revival of jerk music, and many students of the rap game are copying their 2000s nostalgia-inspired aesthetic. In my opinion, Xavier is currently on one of the most excellent mixtape runs of the underground, and his fourth mixtape, “Install,” is a part of that.
On this tape, Xavier steps away from the weird, distorted sound that tapes like “With” and “Someone Help.” While I appreciate those mixtapes, I prefer the more mainstream-sounding mixes that “Install” wears. They don’t sound like the average Drake record, but they aren’t sloppy.
The intro track brings us into heaven, with a beautiful pad pattern overshadowed by fast, glitchy drums, not to mention Xavier’s off-key bars that sound like he was off the Gancia (which you can see on the cover) while recording. His low-energy cadence and his crazy flow on this track pull me in and make me want more out of this song. Now, you just have to prepare for what’s next.
Track 5 “Enough” features a melancholic beat by Cranes, an essential producer for 1c and SoEvilBoyz. The grand piano on this beat is the best part, flexing a complex melody matching Xavier’s right-panned flow rapping about the drugs he’s taking isn’t enough, the money he’s making isn’t enough, and most importantly, that he has had enough. This track fades out, and the next track “Enough 2” fades in.
On “Enough 2,” Xavier is hanging out with his bros, talking about iPhones, and still making sure you know that everything he does isn’t enough. The creepy instrumental produced by Ss3bby and Aghast captures an emotion in me that no other song has. “Enough 2” is also a good example of Xavier’s experimentation with song structuring, as we hear the song restarting many times at a higher tempo. Xavier’s pitching-up of the song is a signature in his tapes, adding more flavor.
Track 10, “Pro N Con” features EXODUS1900 and Zayguapkid (made and released before the feud with Zay) and shows everyone who is the boss of jerk music. The catchy snare pattern keeps the beat on the floor as the melody that sounds like video game ambience powers through. The trio’s vocals are very mumbled and soft, which match the beat very well. Zayguapkid’s verse is transcending, powered by many layered effects and Auto-Tuned ad-libs. The chemistry between the MCs present on “Pro N Con” competes with groups like Odd Future or A$AP Mob’s chemistry.
The outro track “Patchmade” is considered an underground classic by many. The Kashpaint beat with a beautiful piano chord progression, Jersey Club sound effects, and Xavier’s vocals make “Patchmade” a must-listen. Every teenager must listen to this song once and try to understand it. On the surface, it’s a rap song by an MC with a voice that isn’t easy to listen to at first, but it’s so much more than that, in my opinion. His raps about not getting along with right-winged folk and leaving teen girls alone instantly get you to know Xavier’s personality, if the whole mixtape didn’t already.
“Install” looks on the outside like a random SoundCloud mixtape full of nonsense, but on the inside, we see a kid contributing to the vast network of cloud rap and changing the way music should be made. Sure, the pitched-up nightcore-inspired verses can be challenging for some listeners to get into, but it’s good to step back from the regular mainstream-sounding albums and explore more authentic releases like “Install.”