By Taimoor Nawaz
American rappers have been known to have a large prevalence in the United Kingdom. Take “Praise the Lord” by ASAP Rocky and Skepta, or Drake’s numerous collaborations with artists like Giggs and other UK drill artists. Then you have artists like Dave, reaching Drake-esque superstar status in England. However, creeping down the more sonically outlandish and aesthetically challenging path, similar to his American contemporary counterpart Playboi Carti, Lancey Foux sets himself far apart from the mainstream UK rapper with his latest album, Life in Hell. Foux’s sixth studio album is a trip diving into Foux’s psyche, alternating between lush R&B-influenced ballads about his love life and self-introspection. It nearly seamlessly flows into violent, synth-heavy bangers made for the mosh pits and reaffirming Foux as being ‘top of his class.’
The most notable aspect of this project is the unique production, with contributions from BNYX, who frequently works with Yeat and KAYTRANADA. Foux has always given his album dynamic production. “OUTTAMYMIND” from 2021’s LIVE.EVIL is an example of how Foux shocks the listener. However, he takes it a step further with drastic jumps between tones. Songs like “WORLD ON FIRE” open softly but quickly crescendo into a fast-paced rager, whereas the abrupt fifth track, “SUN MOON,” opens aggressively but slows down before it leads into the much more vibrant “COLORS.”
Beat changes are no stranger to modern rap; artists like Baby Keem and Travis Scott utilize them often. However, as much of a technical and artistic choice they are, if not done right, they can make a song incohesive and sporadic. Foux understands this. The different beats, while being different in terms of mood and tempo, are not so sonically different that the change is jarring but instead satisfying. You can almost predict when the change is going to happen, but the flamboyant production is enough to still take the listener by surprise. Foux also trades the psych-trap sound he is known for songs like the opener, “SPIRIT OF X2C,” a soft, slow ballad, and one of the two KAYTRANADA-assisted tracks, “HIGH GRADE,” that features sample-based boom bap production, a far cry from the synths and distorted 808s associated with Foux at this point.
Foux matches the dynamic production with his own vocal performance, using autotune similarly to Rodeo-era Travis Scott, turning his voice into an instrument. On the more aggressive tracks, like the lead single “LANCEY OR LANCEY,” he uses breathy ad-libs and moans as something percussive. On more lush tracks like “TOO HARD TO KILL,” he uses it to vocalize and create counter-melodies.
Despite the tracks being versatile, Foux chooses from an arsenal of flows depending on the tone, and aside from a few exceptions in which he pushes his own style, the album can be boiled down to one of two sounds: love songs (SHE THE ONE) and absolute ragers (LANCEY OR LANCEY). His lyrical performance leaves a little more to be desired on both hooks and verses. “WORLD ON FIRE” has a repetitive hook, but due to the fast-paced production and length of the song, it never gets stale. However, as you get further into the album, you find that a lot of the songs become repetitive in both the hooks and lyrical content. Take “NOW>THEN,” for example, which features 070 Shake assisting Foux by saying “That was then, this is now” for nearly the entire song. I will say that despite this, the final three-track run features Foux pushing his vocal inflection and songwriting ability as he dives into his self-worth, perception of love, and path to success. Again, the diverse and maximalist production makes up for the lack of consistent lyrical content and narrative, but Foux has proven that he is capable of making something profound without losing that luster, so I feel like we’re missing out on that. Despite the lack of substance, though, his lyrics are still clever, like when he makes the different ways to pronounce “Lancey” symbolic of two different versions of himself on “LANCEY OR LANCEY,” reminiscent of the old Kanye’s intentionally incorrect pronunciation of words to maintain the rhyme scheme.
Something important to note that I believe had an influence on how I enjoyed this album was the aesthetic Foux created for the rollout. To promote the album, Lancey essentially transformed into a demon with purple skin and used the imagery of dark cathedrals and synagogues and I think that while the album does not directly embody that imagery, the imagery is just a visual extension of the perception Lancey has of himself
LIFE IN HELL is an album that is particular to those who enjoy it. If you get it, you get it, and if you don’t, you don’t. Foux comes from a similar school as Playboi Carti where lyrics take a backseat to vocal performance and production. Foux is not focused on telling a message, but rather immersing the listener in an atmosphere reflective of how he perceives himself and his experiences. In essence, Foux’s latest efforts may dissuade listeners because of how bold his vision is, but it is that ambition that makes Foux such an enticing artist. LIFE IN HELL proves that not only is Lancey one of the rap underground’s most elaborate and notable figures, but he has the potential to add layers of substance to a soundscape that has become increasingly one-dimensional.
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