Check Out The Latest Single From Emotional Xan, The Eccentric Dallas SoundCloud Rapper Building A Brand On Personal Truths And A Cold, Lifeless Stare.

Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.

Emotional Xan – “12 A.M”
RIYL: Being in a benzodiazepine-induced stupor
What else you should know: You may hear about the Opioid Crisis™ ad nauseum simply by watching the news, but there is a lesser-known, just-as-serious benzo crisis taking place across our nation these days as well.

In fact, more than 30 percent of opioid overdoses involve benzos, as benzos such as Xanax and Ativan are often taken with opioids such as Fentanyl and Tramadol to enhance the achieved sensation.

As serious as this is, we’re not in the business of blaming or judging artists for substance abuse.

After all, your art is a reflection of what you know, and if taking bars is your reality, then by all means put that on your canvas.

When I listen to most trap/SoundCloud rap music from artists that mention the drug, I put myself in the shoes of someone who is emotionally troubled. If substance abuse is a daily habit for you, you are probably trying to alter your perception of reality — because the one you default to is a realm of misery. Look at things this way, and you will see that most rappers in this subculture tend to wear their struggles on their sleeves.

Case in point: The Dallas rapper Emotional Xan, whose name alone is an on-the-nose cry for help.

On his new song “12 AM,” the tone of his voice reflects this, but his lyrics appear to be saving face, with instances such as:

  • “Different hoes, so I gotta keep a flip phone.”
  • “The other day, I fucked a bitch on the first date.”
  • “Daddy said I’d be a rich man someday.”

Despite the dead look that Emotional Xan more than likely has in his eyes as he delivers these lines, the production in this track and the flow he maintains are actually pretty decent. His voice is monotone and doesn’t offer much by way of vocal inflections, but given the mental state one could picture him in, that actually might be to his credit.

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