If you haven’t heard of Deijuvhs yet, you’re in for a psychedelic trap-metal shock. This insanely talented artist is the newest — and definitely the most thrilling — addition to the British underground hip-hop scene. The 23-year-old rapper stays true to his East London roots, his accent prevalent in each and every one of his unpredictable tracks, setting him apart from the usual trend-hoppers and bandwagon-riders.
His debut album, ‘Forever Hoodpunk’, is a 12-track anarchic masterpiece – and we’re going to tell you why.
‘Pagans’ sparks off the album, an angsty yet spiritual anthem that calls attention to the vexing moment of recognition that the world is full of pain and inequality. A clockwork trap rhythm pairs perfectly with the catchy line, ‘I don’t sleep at night, I don’t sleep.’ The chill instrumental that ends this track flows into the following, ‘Wetherspoons’. This is one of my favourites of the 12, with a combination of synth guitar, vibrating bass and an unpretentious beat. The subtle screamo in the background really tops off this track.
The third song, ‘Code Vein’, features two other artists, L9cket and Hydrologikk. Their vocals swirl into each other like silk and it seems that Deijuvhs has officially mastered the whole lofi-meets-punk thing. ‘Bachellor’ contrasts to the other tracks on this record, escorted by a super upbeat and feel-good tempo. This one in particular sets off my imagination, picturing a warm summer evening with the sunshine on my face and not a worry in the world.
The main driver of this album is undoubtedly ‘Creepin Thru Da Night’, with a chaotic mechanical guitar riff and heavy beat accompanied by lawless rapping and definite nu-metal inspirations shining through. The total paranormality of this single reminds me of a Zillakami solo with a classic City Morgue production. ‘Golly Gosh’ is a dark mind-numbing track, brimming with confrontational lyrics and more trademark screaming vocals that add to the apprehensive atmosphere.
‘Infinity Pipe’ is a doomy yet dazed trap banger that dreams about girls, girls, girls… An unexpected electric rock solo further shines a light on this artist’s unpredictability and talent. Leading onto ‘Dirge Of Cerberous’ which tells a slightly more romantic story than the last. The Phantom vocals add a softer touch to this fairly stripped-down and effortless track that behaves as a beautiful bridge for the album.
‘Waps And Skengs (Punk Beef)’ is a literal two-second melody that introduces the tenth song, ‘DIPSHIT’, a tension-inducing explosion of aggression and self-expression. This is a hymn of edge, with the consistently repeated line ‘dipsh*t’ and the feminine tone of Retropxssy’s rapping adds to the track’s uniqueness. ‘Flem’ has a similar vibe, with louder, more extreme vocals and a loaded thrash beat. Buckets of emotion pour out of this song; ‘I think I hate the world’.
Super-menacing final track, ‘The Walking Dead’ attributes a barred-out sounding voice accompanied by an entrancing beat that drifts in and out of intensity, which deems this the perfect finish to the album… ‘Forever Hoodpunk’ is unequivocally a potent, room-shaking new age experience. Deijuvhs is the start of something new, raw, an enigmatic hip-hop revolution. 5/5
Summer Frost
RIDE MUSIC 