Canadian rapper Xilax was born in Chicoutimi Quebec, of mixed color, hence he was caught between both the white and black communicates, and had to learn quickly how to fight for respect. Xilax’s father died when he was just 6 months old. This left his mother, who had just arrived in a country unknown to her, to struggle on alone. She did however have the aid of Xilax’s grandfather and godfather. Now an independent rapper, singer, composer, cameraman, photographer and marketing consultant, Xilax has just released his new single for Halloween, entitled “Da Funeral” ft. Slapstik aka trix.
What’s an emcee’s first duty? Three words, “Keep it real”. A lot of artists are keeping it real dumb, but Xilax is one of the few who truly deserves the title of emcee, and he has even stepped up his game and delivered the goods on this new track. With a killer feature by Slapstik aka trix, Xilax gets into “Da Funeral” right from the get-go.
Overall, the production is great, but Xilax’s raw delivery, play on words and catchphrases are the focal point, and the lyrical content by all concerned is just fire on wax. Notwithstanding the fact that his first language is probably French, Xilax’s passion, flow and delivery are second to none, and the beat is clean.
Xilax is a totally independent artist which is very impressive in itself, and which is why he’s largely unknown out of the underground scene. I have listened to some of his other tracks frequently, and have found his style and subject matter intelligent and engaging. Something that is completely non-existent in the current marketing scheme.
On “Da Funeral” ft. Slapstik aka trix, Xilax, obviously steps between the boundaries of surrealism and horrorcore, on a track meant for Halloween. Here they may be killing Zombies with bars, however, if you read between the lines, you’ll hear many truths that apply elsewhere in life.
This is still far, far away, and above anything else you’ll hear on any mainstream rap station. With “Da Funeral”, you can get your jam on, without feeling as if the music is killing your brain cells. In the face of war, inequality, and questionable leadership, for a moment Xilax and Slapstik aka trix, take our minds away from these problems.
But instead of harping on about the overused sex, cars and drug tropes, Xilax takes us on a completely different trip. It’s like sitting through a four minute movie scene, as Xilax spins imagery, turning the pictures on their heads. “Life turned out to be a walking dead series, zombies don’t have philosophies.”
It is his mixture of intelligence and vision, urgency and open-heartedness that makes him a promising artist in the Canadian independent scene. “Da Funeral” ft. Slapstik aka trix comes off as a fun track for Halloween, but it is as strapping, as urgent and as powerful as any hip hop record has been this year. With so much mainstream rap based on hedonistic malarkey, outdated misogyny and celebrations of false prosperity, “Da Funeral” – with a beat composed by Anno Domini Nation – is invigorating in style and surprising in scope.
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