Indie underground emcee RIP Lux first caught our attention last year with his song “Edgerunnerz”, and now he is back with his new project The Quezon City Broadcast. The 15-track body of work is released as a half-hour seamless mix that listeners can just tap into however they like.

“I’m sorry the future you have selected has been cancelled”

The aptly titled “ Intro” is brought to life by a mysterious narrator who leads us into a dystopian cyber-punk world that is modelled after a nuclear holocaust and humans are left scampering for whatever resources they can obtain. This is followed by the single “EdgeRunnerz,” a gripping, ominous piece comprising brooding textures and a downtempo groove underpinned by graphic lines like “On a higher cinematic, this Earth was once lavish now it’s cursed left for Satanics dripping cheap blood on ceramics/ dead rabbits force-feeding maggots in the dead of summer“. It serves as a stark reminder of this dark and unforgiving world RIP Lux inhabits. This is followed by “ Silver Medal” with its brooding riffs and thick bassline-driven groove. The track is bolstered by edgy and off-kilter bars and an engaging WestSide Gunn sample as the hook. “Shadows In Vienna” sounds like a scene from an 80s sci-fi flick and sees RIP Lux in his element as he braves this new world with his posse. “ Stupid Human Suit” dives into what the human consciousness is besides being surrounded by fleshy meat. Lines like “Don’t let your mind trick you, pimp you out, ego trip you/Know yourself”  reminds us to look behind the materialistic and superficial elements.

 

The fun continues on the trippy “Yellow Parenti” with its stark production style and another dose of heavy stream-of-consciousness raps. Tracks like the scenic “When The Empire Falls”, the solemn “Maradona” and the ominous piano arrangements on “Masquerade” show different sides to RIP Lux’s artistry and off-kilter thought process. The tracks dive into the topics of loyalty, the never-ending journey of a man on a mission to introspective bars laced with bravado intent. “My Work Is Not Yet Done” starts with a brooding piano riff, sublime sound design, and vocal samples that help set the tone for the emcees to go off with a devil-may-care energy. This is followed by “ Public Enemy”, a cinematic piece that looks at the life of a rebel who goes against the powers that be and the domino effects of their actions. The final track, “A Crumb,” uses a classic Nas line with distorted muffled guitar licks, dirty basslines and punchy drum grooves and fills to complete the job. RIP Lux uses this to get his message across to those who need to hear it. He is unapologetic and would rather stray from the norm and not perpetuate the same stereotypes.

 

I will admit The Quezon City Broadcast is a dense, hard-hitting project that caters to lovers of underground raps. The dark dystopian and cyberpunk themes will appeal to a niche audience, but the most important thing is his ability to weave a ton of thoughts and ideas into a seamless pattern. The raw, unadulterated lyricism is his forte, and he is not changing that anytime soon.

 

Other dope tracks include dark storytelling on “Cordyceps”, punchy drums and sad piano riffs on the short  “Crimson Tide”, and the gem-filled“ One Day The Day Won’t Come” or the grimy “ Hit 1 To Teach 100”