There’s nothing quite like listening to a new album that makes you feel like you’re floating atop the purest water or flying through cerulean skies. An album like that is not created often, but luckily New Moon by Kill Bill and Rav was released on January 20th, 2019. New Moon is a hip-hop/rap album by two individual underground artists: Kill Bill: the Rapper and Rav. The two rappers come together, meshing their individual styles, to give us the perfect album to sway to.

     Kill Bill and Rav may be individual artists, but they are no strangers to each other. Both rappers are members of a hip-hop crew called EXOrdium. Other members like Rekcahdam, Scuare, and Ashido Brown are often featured in their songs, but do not have a collaborative album the way Kill Bill and Rav do. In fact, the creators of New Moon feature each other multiple times on each of their past albums. These songs are often the most successful, as the two rappers work very well together. There’s a certain chemistry in their artistry that is not found often, so they should stick to it.

Kill Bill is a 23-year-old underground rapper from South Carolina who prides himself on his nerdy interests like anime. He has a charismatically deep voice that instantly draws attention. His musical style is very jazzy with brass instruments and drums providing the beat. His music is new and interesting, mixing jazz elements into hip-hop.

     Rav is a much more mysterious, possibly because he prefers the focus to be on his music, which is a great place to focus. Rav’s personal style involves a great deal of samples, such as in his 2018 song “Raspberries,” where he samples the voices of anime characters as an opener to the album. He also adds many interesting sounds that are reminiscent of video games. He also plays with sound in another 2018 song, “1,000 Years in the Sea,” where he layers his own song beneath the sample of a child speaking. Rav is an experimenter and takes risks with his songs, providing something new and captivating. The sound of his voice is also worth noting, as the sound of his voice is often compared to that of Eminem. Though their voices may sound similar, their styles and flow are completely unique.

     New Moon is the lovechild of both these exceptional styles of music.

The album begins with “now you don’t,” a song that softly introduces the album and perfectly sets the melancholy, yet upbeat, tone. As an album opener, it is not an ‘in your face’ song like many artists chose to begin their albums, which usually isn’t the best thing. Normally, a strong single is the way to begin an album, as it snatches as much attention as possible. However, there is still something intriguing about this song – it instantly provides an understanding that Rav and Kill Bill are doing something brand new here. Something different. Something much more relaxed. There have been artists experimenting with this chill vibe before, of course, but not quite in the same way. Rav and Kill Bill are combining genres in a beautiful way, and “now you don’t” lets us know immediately.

      Something that always stands out to close-listeners when experiencing new albums is the transitions between songs. There’s something so entrancing about songs that flow together like a river, building off each other like they are pieces of a puzzle that just fall together effortlessly. New Moon is one of those smooth pieces of artwork that allows the listener to sink into every single song. This smoothness carries throughout the whole album, never disrupting that melancholy tone, which really allows the listener to disappear into the world of the songs the same way a good novel transports its reader.

       Each song feels as though you can sway to them, especially track 4: “lovedrug (off that).” This song is one of the most upbeat and happy songs, but Kill Bill’s deep voice perpetuates the gloomy tone of the album. “lovedrug (off that)” is a love song with sappy lyrics like “sitting by the moonlight / and I wont let you fall” and “I ran away from my feelings / still don’t know no better baby.” This song talks about love songs making money, which is exactly what it does. “lovedrug (off that)” is a fan favorite and the most attention-grabbing song on the album, proving the message in the earlier lyrics right. With its catchy guitar hook and soft vocals, this is a song that can be played on repeat. There’s nothing that snatches the hearts of listeners quite like a cute, relatable love song they can apply to their own lives. Combining rap and love songs is a power move that Kill Bill and Rav made.

      A new genre of music that is emerging recently is emo rap. Some of the known names of this subgenre are Juice WRLD, Lil Uzi Vert, and fallen rappers XXXTentacion and Lil Peep. Kill Bill and Rav are dabbling in this genre by rapping their depressing lyrics. Most songs, such as “when i am successful, i’mma buy a neo geo,” have almost an emo rap element as it deals with darker themes. In Rav’s verse, he says: “Depression looms subtle as perfume / I look around for reasons to curb my dejection.” Depressed lyrics are often meshed with upbeat music, creating a unique feeling when listening to the album, something like eating ice cream in the rain. This genre is growing in popularity as Generation Z matures because they are looking for music they can relate to and listen to in order to heal from their own depression. Kill Bill and Rav do an excellent job in this genre because they are genuine and revealing in their lyrics. People can also relate to them in a stronger way because they are underground rappers, not huge celebrities.

     Another genre that New Moon experiments with is jazz. There are some subtle jazz elements throughout the album and is especially heard in the brass instruments in “put it down.” These brass instruments also make special appearances throughout the entire album, giving each song a nostalgic feel. The way they add these elements makes it appear like the artists are trying to introduce a younger generation to older music or accommodate an older audience. Either way, it sounds amazing.

The 9th track “cult,” in a similar vein, has more of an 80’s pop vibe, but somehow manages to fit the album perfectly. This track isn’t one that initially catches attention, but the message of it is rather intriguing. Kill Bill is solo in this track and discusses the downfalls of being a rapper this day in age. He describes misery and helplessness in the lyrics “I’m sick of this sickness / if it’s beef, I’ll let it sleep.” The lyrics suggest Kill Bill is living a lifestyle he does not necessarily want. This is just one example of how the lyrics throughout this entire album are often deep and meaningful, providing a relatable feeling even if the listener has never experienced anything like it.

     Samples are something that appear on nearly every song. This use of a variety of samples, some from anime and some from other music, is a clear sign of Rav’s musical expression. Looking at his solo work, it is clear that he is fond of using samples. He often uses them to further the narrative of his songs, which he does on New Moon. These samples are actually not distracting from the song itself since they add a new layer of understanding. The song “passionfruit” has a sample integrated into the middle of the track that works well even if the listener does not know the reference.

The very last song on New Moon is “lil empathy,” which wraps up the entire album very well with Rav repeating the disturbing line “let me die” as the song fades out. This line demonstrates that the depression alluded to throughout New Moon is still very much there and on their minds. The line is sad and haunting, leaving the audience to wonder. There is no happy ending, like many people crave. However, I feel that this ending is necessary, since depression isn’t something that someone can get over quickly or easily. The entire song is a perfect example of the aforementioned emo rap genre with the first verse saying:

 

“I seem cool

Ice around my neck looking icey too

I need friends

But I see few

I’ll see you at the ICU”

 

Rav raps about the hardships he faces with fake friends and feeling alone. It’s as if the album tells the story of gaining fame rather than dealing with depression, since the depression is always there.

Overall, New Moon by Kill Bill x Rav is a great album and a great mix of both underground rapper’s styles, without one outshining the other. It’s a perfect album if you’re in the mood to feel. Or you just want to listen to a new genre by two upcoming artists that deserve more attention.

​

by Caitlyn Smith

staff writer

photos: Bandcamp

​