If future generations wonder why hip-hop became what it became, they should look no further than Xaviersobased, the 21 year old native of the Upper West Side. Xavier dropped two albums in 2024 to much acclaim and fanfare — including a Best New Music at Pitchfork — and became a sui generis rapper of Gen Z. They’ll be talk about Nettspend being the future: Xavier, however, has been able to develop a signature style that is indebted to previous generations and still utterly modern and fresh.
It’s not just the hyperpop, the jerk, the trap, crashing into the cloud rap with Xavier, it’s the vignette songwriting on “Pediatrician”, where he recalls a time where he was watching noggin in the waiting room while looking at his spongebop wallet. “I had bands on me back then, I have bands on me right now”, he says, singing with a boyish nasal. On “You See Me”, he floats, over a Rainbow Road-like beat, saying “I didn’t speed down that strip.” Somehow, it’s both laconic and intense, perfect for the kids of Gen Z, who are growing up with worse resources but more knowledge of self than ever before.
The kid is laconic and understands stardom — I saw him do two songs at a warehouse in Soho and was shocked at how sober and focused he was. In 2025, Xavier will be leading the way.
