Wrex Mason may have taken about as long a hiatus from dropping new music as I took from blogging about new music. Fortunately, sometimes it takes stepping away from a passion to recognize the necessity of that passion in one's life and allow said passion to manifest itself in the best way possible.
At the end of January, Wrex released a new joint under his Q. Arafat alias and, in my admittedly biased opinion, it's great to once again hear something fresh from the NJ-by way of -CT-based artist.
"Expurgation (f.k.a. Imperfect Cell)" is our first taste of Q. Arafat's upcoming 9000+: YINMN (co-starring Nelson Bandela) project. At just under 3 minutes, the song features roughly a minute and a half of lyrics, which makes sense considering Wrex's combined passion for production and writing/rapping. This "don't call it a comeback" track showcases the versatility of Mason, who uses the song to flaunt his blunt lyricism and his unique sound as a producer.
The song, which features co-production from Nelson Bandela, sounds glitchy and very much so video game-esque. Towards the end of "Expurgation", after the lyrics fade out, the sonic experience transitions into a more ambient, almost jazzy sound.
Took a few years, now it's fire on all cylinders
As noted, "Expurgation" is relatively short - especially in regards to lyrics. Still, over the course of Arafat's rapping, the song manages to emit a sense of reflection, growth into the present moment, and a focus on the future. What left me most impressed was nothing felt rushed or forced - in about a minute and a half, the listener gets an all encompassing feel for the past/present/future, with just enough focus placed on each period/frame of mind.
Wrex is not lying when he states his absence from releasing new music had some people wondering whether or not he had given up. Without throwing any individual under the bus, I can readily admit I've heard first hand people questioning if Wrex would ever drop 9000+, let alone any new content in general. Now, with a new year under way and a new aesthetic about his art form, Wrex Mason is ready to silence the doubters and come through for his supporters.
For those wondering, "expurgation" means:
a form of censorship which involves purging anything
deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work,
or other type of writing or media
And, while I never familiarized myself with the show, I believe "Imperfect Cell" in the title is a reference to Dragon Ball Z - which would make sense since Wrex is the "poster boy for the black weirdo."
Here's to hoping we hear more from Wrex Mason/Q. Arafat sooner rather than later.
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