An NYC native, X.ILE started his career at the age of 14 and has placed himself in a position of early exposure within his music career as a prominent artist.
Unafraid to foster an environment where all genres can coexist throughout his music, X.ILE's work expands to many different audiences and has quickly gained praise throughout the industry from both critics and fellow artists.
The vivacious soundscape of his most recent release, “HUCCI SHOES,” enlists the talents of Lapse as the two creatives give listeners more than they bargained for.
There’s a unique merger between the eras of Hip-hop that have you abundantly spellbound in the buoyancy dripping from this single. X.ILE approaches his wordsmith capabilities in a way that showcases his skill set as an emcee in today’s day and age, all while carrying the lyrical push that is the foundation of old-school Hip-hop.
With a pang of hunger in X.ILE’s vocal delivery, the prevailing tenors that have you bouncing to the icy cadences he radiates from his artistic jurisdiction. Combining his techniques with Lapse, both artist’s knack for wordplay simmers over the pulsating instrumentation as they accompany one another to the finish line.
To top it all off, the visuals that go hand in hand with “HUCCI SHOES,” have your eyes stuck to the screen from beginning to end. There’s something so captivating about the quick-cut scenes in the filmic component’s transitions that match the beat of each perfectly timed kick drum on cue.
The icing on the cake is that both X.ILE and Lapse have an exclusive flair to offer in the way they approach their artistry, yet when fused together, this is a knockout collaboration if we’ve ever seen one.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, X.ILE! This track has us fully drawn towards what you stand for as an artist. In your own words, what does “HUCCI SHOES” mean to you? What does it say about the direction your music is headed?
"Hucci Shoes” was more or less a return to the traditional trap-oriented X.ILE sound that I diverted from with Grapecrush. Thematically, it's a comment on consumerism and our need to impress even when we don’t have the means to. Be it fake Gucci (what I call “Hucci”), or lying about your “diamond” earrings being cubic zirconia, we see so much of this innate desire on a daily basis so I wanted to comment on it. Honestly, I’m sure it won’t be the last time I touch on the subject of authenticity
What was it like working with Lapse in order to bring this vision to fruition? How did you two come to collaborate?
I and Lapse have a 6-year history. He was really the first rapper in the city to have faith in what I was doing not only as a producer but when I started rapping some 3-4 years ago. Not only do we have such a fluid relationship as collaborators, but I look to him as a mentor in the industry considering his veteran status. It’s always plug and play with him; every time we link we come out with a banger. The process behind Hucci Shoes was no different than our other previous collaborations.
The music video for “HUCCI SHOES” redefines creativity! Did you get any assistance with the creative direction, or was this all your idea? Could you please take us into what it was like on the set of the video?
Virtually the entirety of the video, creatively, was me. It was my first time directing a music video, let alone my own, so it was definitely a different experience than just being the artist told what to do. It was a challenge having to wear a couple of hats, but in the end, I found it super rewarding. I definitely can’t take all the credit though because my videographer, Stephen Petrone, killed it with the visual FX on post-production and just overall helped bring my vision for the video. to life.
Having been in the industry for a good chunk of time now, how have you found yourself growing the most from your first song, until this release?
When I first started, I was strictly a dance music producer. The crap I released, in the beginning, was garbage. I was just a kid at the beginning of high school trying to figure out how to use industry-standard software trying to throw a cowbell in everything to make it sound hot. That’s all perfectly fine though as the difference between the quality of my productions then vs. now is night and day. That’s probably where I’ve noticed the most growth. My palette has also expanded exponentially over the last 8 years and I’ve found myself making styles of music I never would’ve dreamed I’d be making at the age of 14.