The sound and power of Southern music is always shifting as time goes on, and when it comes to local hip-hop, it’s never been more exciting! Hip-hop artist PreauXX is one of the hottest Memphis rappers out right now, contributing to the big shift that is causing the local music scene to evolve seemingly day by day. With the recent release of his third studio album, PreauXX is serving prolific hip-hop and pop candances in a brand new way. The album, which was released on February 4th, is already gaining momentum throughout the city of Memphis and beyond. If you love hip-hop, good vibes, and the satisfaction of supporting the next hot artist, PreauXX and his new album are the way to go!
On Malcolm 2XXs Presents: God Don’t Like Ugly, PreauXX introduces a new version of himself. The “Slide” rapper says that the album’s inspiration stemmed from an anime character and his journey as a villain. He explains that in this anime, the main character Sensui found himself searching for who he was and often reflected on what he’d done and why. Upon listening to the album, it’s clear why this metaphor works as a stand-in for what this album means to him: the excitement of stepping into a new element and a novel style distinctive from his previous work
PreauXX began his musical journey around 12 years ago, combining various styles together to make good music for the ladies. “That’s how I started, but I needed to get out of my comfort zone and take my music to the next level,” he says. Memphis native and well-known producer IMAKEMADBEATS, who is a close friend, encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone, fine-tune his craft, and channel a new side of himself. In many ways, God Don’t Like Ugly is a huge step forward in that direction and represents a stark development from his past albums. As PreauXX describes it, this album has a more “luxxurious” sound. “People knew me as a dude that made music for the ladies. Now, it’s time for a more unique sound.”
The rapper used “luxxurious” many times when referring to his music, saying that good quality music and good vibes are what’s most important to him. “I like to make music that feels good. Music that feels good to the soul.” Furthermore, the album showcases a much more vulnerable side of the artist than we’ve seen before, which makes it more engaging and ultimately more entertaining. Who doesn’t love relatable and expressive bars?
The eight songs that compose Malcolm 2XXs Presents: God Don’t Like Ugly are beyond quotable, featuring some of the most clever and accessible lyrics of his career. From bad friendships to haters to the blatant disrespect of Black women in songs, Preauxx is clearly here to state his true feelings and to showcase a bit more of his personal life. To that point, PreauXX couldn’t pass up the chance to name one of the songs on the album “Vulnerable.” However, that’s far from the only song that displays his newfound openness. From the first track, titled “John Boyega”, the rapper taps into his feelings regarding the creation of verses that are real, have true meaning, and evoke emotions.
You may wonder what’s next for PreauXX. When asked, the rapper responded “If I could just express the scheming emoji right here, right now, I would. So, I’ll just say, stay tuned man. There’s more, and this is just the beginning.” We can’t wait to see what’s next for him, but for now, we would encourage everyone to check out his latest release, Malcolm 2XXs Presents: God Don’t Like Ugly, and just as the man stated, stay tuned…
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