Keith Ape – BORN AGAIN

This review is in honor of one of the most impactful artists in my life Keith Ape as he recently announced that his life got cut short according to his doctor. In the recent post, he claimed to only have 3-6 months left to live and many news sites have written about it already. Most fans genuinely hope it is some sort of sick joke, including I, exemplifying the cult-following type artist he has become. To me, Keith portrayed a character of true rebellion who allowed Asian kids to believe they could do more than the sturdy conventions Asian cultures usually impose on them. This sentiment is not only significant in the East, but it is also prominent in the Asian American experience, which usually includes strange manifestations of those conventions. In documentaries, creators claimed his bringing together of different cultures, races, and other backgrounds through his music, especially with his hit single IT G MA that completely rocked the American Trap scene in 2015. Over time, he has spiraled into obscurity, but his original fans always stayed loyal, creating his current cult-like following. For this review, I will cover his debut and only individual project BORN AGAIN. Here is the track-by-track analysis:

My Wrist Clearer Than Water! – Keith starts the album off hard with a song that showcases his famous flow in the purest form. In my primary listen three years ago, I recall losing track of the structure of the song as if the entire song was one huge verse. The music video of this song is also interesting, fusing many elements of his hobbies like video games and psychologically thrilling concepts.

Ninja Turtle – Featuring underground rap legend wifisfuneral, Ape creates a catchy hook on a Brandon Finessin beat who had not really blown up yet. Ape rhymes creatively with his limited English vocabulary.

Ul-Um- This track includes an instrumental that makes Ape sound like he is in an underwater cave as he raps stagnantly and emphatically. The production reminds me of his older “underwater squad” tracks.

Xen – A fast introduction that gives a similar vibe as the first track. Then, the main chunk of the song is filled with lyrics about clothing brands accompanied by a more subtly underwater trap beat.

The Ice Ape – One of Ape’s most underrated songs, in my opinion, Ice Ape sees Chief Keef joining Keith on this track. The production exemplifies the feeling of “icy” with the staler underwater beat and tinkling noise effects. Both rappers’ verses are incredible. In my opinion, this collaboration deserved a music video…

Ape Sounds – A slightly slower-paced song, Keith experiments with a more choppy delivery that complements the beat well. The track also includes some weird ad-libs.

The Opium War – This song features Yung Bans whose sound works extremely well with the thematic aura of the album because of his echoey autotune. The song is much more structured than the others in an almost story-telling fashion. In relation to the song title, Keith mentions Chinese history monikers in Korean throughout the track.

Symphony No. 1993: Escape from Planet of the Apes – A great end to this short album, the final cut is as close as it can get to sounding like an icy, underwater, trap symphony. Keith showcases some solid flow and raps mostly in Korean.

Keith’s flow (rap delivery) is by far his strongest skill as an artist, and he uses that to his advantage on the album in tandem with well-chosen producers that could execute his ideas. His forever motifs of streetwear, jewelry, orcas, ninjas, and the underwater will be remembered through this album and of course his hit singles. Those topics embodied the connect between black and Asian culture in the late 90s to 2000s. The niche link between Pharrell Williams and NIGO that created some of the most influential hallmarks of expressionism in subculture was precisely what manifested into artists such as Keith. He only continued that trailblazing when he was hailed in the States a few years ago. Regardless of what happens, Keith Ape will always be remembered as a unique blip in the timeline of hip-hop and especially trap.

Favorite Tracks: My Wrist Clearer Than Water!, Ninja Turtle, & The Ice Ape

Least Favorites: N/A

Score: 7.3