Prolific Brooklyn rapper Sub9k is a former member of the Five Finger Posse, one of the higher tier rap groups of Soundcloud (in terms of both popularity and music quality). For reasons undisclosed he left FFP (not sure if that happened before or after this album, tbh), but luckily 9k hasn't slacked one bit since his departure in keeping up his music. Nightcrawler is one of his many short mixtapes, but I think it stands out a lot more than the rest of his discography, and is a legitimately great trap EP.
Before I get into the album, for just a little interesting tidbit on how small and ready-to-explode the Soundcloud world is... Sub9k (and the FFP) have a great number of songs produced by Oogiemane, the rest of the Working on Dying crew, and the BMB crew - all of whom have produced many a song for Matt Ox, Spaceghostpurrp, Lil Uzi Vert, and even Drake. Any one of these guys could become household names overnight, and they've been consistently producing the material to prove it...
(Unfortunately I can't find any uploads from this album on YouTube besides a "full mixtape" video, and for some reason that one isn't letting me embed it in this page - you'll have to make do with a Soundcloud embed! Sorry!)
As you might have read in my spotlight on BONES' SoThereWeStood, I really appreciate a rap album with consistency and dedication to an aesthetic / sound. Sub9k delivers that in spades, especially in these EPs he does that are generally produced by a single person. The beats in this album are a little different from your typical hard-hitting 808s / snare / bass feel; they're moody, almost electronic, dark, with some pretty sharp bass that gets your head bumping in the first few seconds of the first song. 9k's flow can range from slow to midtempo, but his voice and confidence go hand-in-hand with the dark vibes to make it all feel like a complete package. Like any great Soundcloud rapper, lots of the beats are pretty obviously video-game and anime inspired, even if he's just talking about his drip or the thots on his dick.
While the lyrical matter is fairly consistent (not a bad thing, 9k sounds great), the wordplay and clever ways of saying basically the same things keep it interesting, and the songs are short enough that none of them overstay their welcome or feel like filler. This thing'll have you feeling like you're zooming around the city in a finessed whip off the percs with a thot in the backseat that keeps reaching forward to feel your meat. Kinda like the album cover? It's a pretty sick vibe, and 9k pulls it off. (Can you tell I love when album vibes match their cover art?)
As an added surprise, on the last song of the EP "Dipset Homage (Outro)" 9k goes ridiculously hard on a beat that manages to be reminiscent of early Dipset material (thus the name) while sticking to the style of the EP as well as the modern sensibilities of trap beats. He rides the beat smooth as hell, too. Easily one of the best and most memorable songs on the EP. If you're looking for one to check out at a glance, I recommend that one. Enjoy!
DREAM...
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