Foreign Exchange: Album Review
Rx Papi has taken over a certain corner of the hip-hop underground this year. For those of us who are perennially online and worshipped Lil B’s early 2010s run, the music of Rx Papi brings back a simpler time. Both Rx Papi and his counterpart, Rx Nephew, have crafted an entire genre of off-the-cuff, violent bars, but they have both struggled with consistency on their full-length projects. With Rx Papi and his producer Gud’s newest album, Foreign Exchange, Papi shows the best of what he has to offer and why the sound he’s honed could be a revolutionary force in hip-hop.
From the first track on the album, it’s clear we are in for something different. The beat is dominated by reverb-drenched synths and skittering drums, as Rx Papi reflects on his past. “12 Stout Street” sets the tone for the entire album. There’s not much happiness to be found, and where there is joy, it comes at a cost. This feeling of melancholy is perfectly encapsulated by the synergy between Rx Papi and Gud. Even when Papi is yelling at the top of his lungs, his vocals are backed up by an equally tragic wailing of the instrumental. Throughout the project, the two artists become nearly indistinguishable from one another.
While much of Rx Papi’s music in the past has thrived off of getting laughs, Foreign Exchange is an incredibly serious project. Songs like “N.L.M.B.” and “Liar” perfectly bridge Papi’s playful nature with the intensity of the topics he raps about. On “Liar,” Papi spits, “sometimes I don’t even like waking up,” like it’s just another line. The comfort he finds in resignation is both intense and inspiring. He finds no shame in bearing his heart to the audience which allows us so many opportunities to connect with him and get to know how he truly feels about the world.
In contrast to many of Rx Papi’s past projects, Foreign Exchange works best when listened to chronologically. It’s incredibly sequenced and it’s hard to imagine a song like “Still in the Hood” without its counterpart “Liar.” Each track has a specific message. Although it may not be the type of message we are used to, Papi fully brings us into his world and embraces us. Part of what has made so much of Rx Papi’s music so easy to digest in the past was the randomness of the tracks, but Foreign Exchange forces us to consider exactly what Rx is talking about.
In a year that has been filled with short releases, Rx Papi and Gud crafted a masterpiece. In just 19 minutes, they bring you into an entire world filled with both sadness and beauty. Tracks like, “Albino Steve” perfectly encapsulate the energy they create. There’s always an element of sarcasm to the music, but beyond this screen, there is a deep feeling of emptiness. Foreign Exchange shows us, two artists, at their most creative and experimental. Beyond all of the antics, there is a depth to Rx Papi’s music that is deeply affecting.