Wok & Troll.

Premiere: Check Out Two New Tracks From Vibe-y Dallas Rapper Xes.

X’zavier Edwards has long been a familiar face in Dallas hip-hop circles. But, beyond that, the rapper and producer who these days goes by the name of Xes has also long been touted within that community as one of the scene’s more talented up-and-comers.

Mostly, that promise has been seen through the former Brain Gang member‘s work for others, as a producer for contemporaries of his including A.Dd+ and Sam Lao, to name a few. Aside from a 2013 release, the random beat tape here and there, and three memorable featured turns on Blue, The Misfit’s Child In The Wild LP (as X The Misfit), he’s appeared largely content not being in the spotlight himself.

But that, it appears, is all about to change. These days, Xes is gearing up to announce the release of a new solo LP through the local HIGHSTANDARDz label, which he hopes will showcase him as an artist more than capable of standing on his own two legs. In advance of that unveil, he’s also releasing two loosie tracks today as a bit of a teaser of what’s to come — songs that we here at Central Track are stoked to exclusively premiere.

The 26-year-old Edwards describes these two new tracks as “just me having fun expressing myself.”

Of the two, “WOK” — which Xes co-produced with his fellow Dallas studio ace Donny Domino and which is meant as an homage to Lil B’s cooking dance — in particular exemplifies that experimental approach.

“The concept of ‘WOK’ came to mind from thinking to myself how important a chorus is to a song, as well as the percentage a chorus actually makes up in a good song,” Xes says. “I figured I would I would attempt to create a full song that anyone could vibe to, without one verse included — just a bunch of groovy ass choruses. What better way of creating a song with the same energy than making it a dance song?”

On the other hand, the solo-produced “Troll” is a more straightforward backhand to online trolls who, in Xes’ words, “make our lives difficult for reasons they only know.”

Combined, they very much present Xes as a performer with a unique ear for aesthetic and vibe. But, as Xes puts it, they’re just the tip of his iceberg.

“These songs only represent a very small fraction of what’s to come on my upcoming album,” he say. “I feel these two songs say I am capable of making songs that sound and feel good — about any subject matter.”

Here’s looking forward to hearing which topics he tackles next.