Redveil -
The Youngest Star Out There
In the modern world, where location is losing its importance, age doesn't have a special meaning. The boundaries are already broken; in reality, the only thing that matters is that you have an online connection. This could link you up with people from different spheres of life in different geographical entities, thereby making location inconsequential. This determination is accurate for every aspect of life, yet, in the music industry, the modern world based on the web is more significant than every other section. And if you disagree with what I wrote until that moment, let us deploy before you the outstanding emergence of the 16-year-old rapper and producer, Redveil, over the last year that happened, among other things, thanks to Twitter. Then we could be leveling to equal ground.
By Dean Ace, in partnership with Ace-Coast.
25/04/2021
REDVEIL
Photography credits unknown, please contact us for credits.
Marcus Morton, also known as Redveil, is a Maryland native rapper who is only 16, and although his young age; he has experience in the music scene way more than expected from an artist in his period. He started to make music while he was only 11, and in the five years that passed, he has shown an improvement curve that makes him much more than an unpolished potential. Starting music at an early age and all the while accumulating experiences these past years undoubtedly helped him hone his skills. With two great albums in his repertoire, maturity that increases day by day, and vast amounts of talent, it seems the breakout into the mainstream is just a matter of time. And Following what happened until that moment, this time is probably on the horizon.
Redveil started to gain recognition after his debut project, "Bittersweet Cry," released in 2019; the album was entirely self-produced by Redveil himself as a diversity project. Combining inside more up-beats tracks as "Luck" and Run It Back" alongside other tracks that feel hazier with more profound concussions, melodies, and tones like 'Lonicera' and 'Gryphon'. Yet, despite the fact the album has showcased a glimpse of his excellent skills, it wasn't cohesive enough and not hinted at what is about to come.
Then the magical power of the internet helped young Redveil to blow up more quickly than he could imagine. On March 19 last year, at the beginning of the quarantine, he dropped the single called "Soulfood," using the same sample Anderson Paak used on "What More Can I Say." The production and the rapping style on this were more similar to the mellow rap he displayed in 'Bittersweet Cry' in what seemed to be the style that fitted him the most; maybe he had finally found his niche. The single was retweeted and praised by "Sherk Knows Rap," a Twitter account with more than 150k followers. From that moment, Redveil became a viral sensation and widely recognized among the underground community, and that set expectations high for his upcoming album. He just needed acknowledgment from someone with a huge following to reach his target audience, which proves the point that location has really lost its importance in the modern world.
Although these expectations could quickly lead to pressure and crash other artists, they actually made him rise above himself; he maintained the momentum and delivered his best project up to date. In the ten tracks album called 'Niagara,' Redveil learned the lessons; he chose a particular sound style he rapped through and devoted himself to it, and it paid him off big time.
This sound path was hazier and more profound, mainly laid on lo-fi production, and he used majorly 70's psychedelic soul samples, which helped the album feel like one unit, more than a collection of tracks. In an impressive show of strength and wisdom, Redveil cleverly exhibited all of his skills. The complex instrumental production perfectly connected to his strict and outstanding flow and the consistent wordplay in his lyrics, creating an album that felt like someone in his '20s made it and somewhat kind of reminds people about the raw edition to 'Some Rap Songs' by Earl. The similarity to Earl's music isn't surprising given the fact, Redveil mentioned Earl Sweatshirt as an artist he was inspired by, alongside Tyler and Kendrick.
Besides the exceptional music he produces and his young age, another aspect that made Redveil one of the most exciting and unique acts nowadays was that he relied on making all of his music independently and inside his room. For a very young independent artist such as Redveil to stay in his room and deliver songs as good as he does without the influence of a record label or studio, it really showed that there was something idiosyncratic about him. In an interview, he talked about the advantages of making music from his home, "that convenience makes it easier for me to put out ideas when I first have them. I don't have to go to a studio; I can just go to my room."
Yet, with all the praise and compliments he deserves, he still has a long process to move from his current status as a prospect toward being a legitimate voice in the boiling scene of experimental and abstract hip hop. The idea of working as a rapper-producer is trendy now, and he could keep on that way. Still, he has a couple of skills to improve. For example, the mixing in Niagara is the weak spot in the album. With the more accurate mixing, Redveil's diction could be more transparent and add another quality to the album. Besides, occasionally he sounds too similar to other artists he was inspired by, and it will be great to see him finding and developing a distinct sound style from his own. However, all that mentioned above are only minor things compared to the beautiful and mature music he managed to produce, and they will probably be getting better and sharper with time; after all, he is still very young and has his best years ahead of him.
One last thing, the current music scene weekly presents us with young artists who deliver bangers that make us affix crowns to their heads, but not long after, they disappear. It will be reasonable to question and doubt Redveil's odds to survive in this jungle. Yet, in this case, it feels different; with two decent projects, he is portrayed as a wise rapper with depth and substance in his music; an artist that is growing and developing himself day by day. With all that, it is safe to predict that his progression will not stop here, and he will escort us at least for the next decade, which seems like the safest scenario.