Atlanta’s dynamic duo reenvisions rap through a sharp lens
Sourcing inspiration from the stars, Terrance Escobar and RXLVND have perfected the cosmic rap formula on Counterfeit Reality.
Both hailing from Atlanta, the artists were originally positioned at the forefront of underground rap during its shift toward more abrasive sensibilities. While Escobar cut his teeth in the SoundCloud scene with online hits like 2016’s “*iSKKKRRRTTT*,” RXLVND was at the center of the zeitgeist with production for trailblazers like UnoTheActivist, 6 Dogs, and Thouxanbanfauni. Escobar and RXLVND would naturally cross paths on singles like “*3400 2 Beverly Hills*,” and while their grandiose approach had yet to appear, their intuitive chemistry was quickly established.
After years of closely working together and slowly pushing their collaborative sound forward on far-out singles like “UFO” and “Kush Aliens,” Escobar and RXLVND have hit their stride on Counterfeit Reality. The two artists emphasize the project’s conceptual lens as Escobar calls it “a modern day psychedelic soundscape infused with futuristic frequencies created with influence from the illusions of everyday life in ‘the matrix.’” It’s an apt description for a record that sounds distinctly otherworldly, a notion driven by its New Age-inspired artwork, which features an esoteric summoning circle and colossal space technology.
While Counterfeit Reality isn’t a concept album in the traditional sense as its lyrics are only loosely affiliated with the broader throughline — “Bitch you know I am an alien, I am not playing / These n***as just really be saying it / Fuck it, might go outer space again” — its sonic means stick to the matrix-shattering script. Escobar’s flows are sticky and incisive, contorting the possibilities of contemporary rap flows into rapid twists and turns, while RXLVND bucks traditional trap avenues in favor of perpetual sonic overdrive.
Lead single “A1ien” is driven by thunderous percussion with deep tonal shifts while synths straight from a space documentary are woven through the kicks, giving it unearthly tendencies that are enhanced by Escobar’s aggressive delivery. The subsequent standout “Need4Speed” finds Escobar dialing his urgency back a notch while dropping chuckle-inducing one liners like “E.T. geeked can’t find my way home” atop RXLVND’s frenetic digital keys.
The two slow it down even further on “Life Goes On,” a cut highlighted by a crooned, R&B-inflected hook that gives the production room to breathe with exosphere flourishes (and makes way for a timely Morpheus reference). It’s only a brief respite though, as Escobar and RXLVND shift back to bold attitudes for the majority of the album’s duration (see: the staggering rave stabs on “Float” that establish a planetary scope alongside the straightforward, head-banging ethos of “Dreadloc Rock”).
Across its runtime, Counterfeit Reality never loses momentum and fully realizes the collective vision between Escobar and RXLVND. They consistently play to each other’s strengths — a reflection of years of steady collaboration — while honing in on their extraterrestrial intentions. With rap music at its most abstract and exhilarating, the future is closer than you think.