Xedrin first caught my eye when he exploded onto the scene with his single "Tidal Wave". This kid came out of Montana with only 100,000 people in his town to make music jewels. With an in your face flow and hypnotizing trap beat, I was hooked and ready for more. Boy did he surprise me with a leap into areas I had no idea his voice could go. His new single Butterflies, makes you think he can shapeshift into different people. Growing exponentially as an artist both in the substance of his songs and in his impeccable vocal range. The lyrics are raw bringing a sorrowfully beautiful picture. The vulnerability in this song and how in tune he had to be with himself makes this song that much more impressive. The long wait to receive his next single was worth it and Xedrin did not hold back at all.
Imagine going from the grand landscapes of Missoula, Montana to the never sleeping Los Angeles. I have personally lived in Montana so I know that any music other than country and rock is as popular as building skyscrapers. Yet Xedrin found himself making hip-hop music and not fitting this mold. All three of his brothers were musicians when he was first introduced. Artists like 5O Cent, Eminem, and the late Mac Miller called out to Xedrin to join them in this obsession with rap music. Poetry was his outlet and all his lyrics unraveled onto the page. Entering into a love for music saved his life. Xedrin found himself on the opposite side of happiness and a battle with mental illness was harming his will to live. Writing a suicide note he suddenly stopped and was overcome with the feeling he needed the world to know his pain. This would become the song "Slave Emotion" and was posted on Soundcloud. The next morning several texts from friends expressed how much his words had impacted them. Little did he know how powerful his words could be. With a taste of connection, he began writing more and more transferring his poems into songs of expression.
Narrowing back in on where Xedrin current status lies is living in the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States. How he got there was actually from his single "Tidal Wave" and a trip to film the music video. Staying with artists and friends Buppy, Eleanor Kingston, and DXCKLIN he was given the opportunity to live there permanently. At seventeen years old he watched the mountains disappear behind him and the sunny state of California emerge. Entering in with a sole focus on rap and hip-hop he had no idea that his sound would transform so much. Xedrin told me, " I finally feel I’ve found my own unique sound, I finally feel like I’m becoming the artist I can be, the artist I want to be. I finally feel like I’m an artist, not a rapper." Having already a fresh and sonically pleasing sound he opened up to learning from a wide range of other artists and producers. Reconstructing and rebranding himself has led to his new single "Butterflies". Starting out as a letter, but evolving into a song you can hear the narration intended for his ex. Breaking down his relationship and the trials and failures of both parties involved. I asked Xedrin what the title of the song meant and he said, "When I finished the song, the last line I recorded was “I wish the butterflies you gave me would give up and fly away...”, telling her that through all the sour emotions, all the animosity we have for each other, and as much as we’re done with each other; I still get butterflies when I think about her." Emotional vocal expression at its finest with an honest goodbye to a past love. Accompanying the song is a music video directed by Graffiti and Xedrin that will be nothing short of compelling. This song acts as a part A to Xendrin's new releases with parts B a C not far off. An opening has arrived for this young artist and he is insistent on gaining the world's attention.