Hip-hop greats have left in their wake such a startling aura of efforts that for many purist, it’s unimaginable for new acts to knock them. But rather than lay down and accept defeat, it has fueled this era of raw and rebellious rappers to look outside the genre for inspiration. As a result, hip-hop is evolving faster than ever with different mutations by artists incorporating punk, hardcore and emo. PatricKxxLee’s has used tracks like “Today Not Today” among others to channel some of his inherent lyrical nihilism through anime characters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bat9ZiNlJ6F/?hl=en&taken-by=patrickxxlee

Previous releases on his debut tape, Diary of An Arsonist already showed his penchant for metaphors alluding to his animated perspective of the world. His latest single, “Dante’s Awakening” finds him in a gruesome Devil May Cry-esque universe where his pseudo-violent narrative feel right at home. Over the haunting mid-tempo synth based beat, he describes how he’s “Killing Demons” and “Leaving Bodies In The Mud”.

His punk like purity and rawness allows him draw parallels between his moral dichotomy and Dante, the lead character in Devil May Cry. While Dante manages to balance both sides of his genes to become the most badass gunslinger and swordsman—being the product of an unholy romance between a powerful demon and an angel—PatricKxxLee apparently is still in struggle with his seemingly opposing sides; “I’m Fighting Demons/ You And I Are Quite Alike And I Don’t Like That”.

Listen to PatricKxxLee’s “Dante’s Awakening” below.

https://soundcloud.com/patrickxxlee/dantes-awakening

Featured Image Credits: Instagram/patrickxxlee

You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

ICYMI: Rage with PatricKxxLee on his energetic single, “Run”