By Cole Allen, Mar. 1, 2022
On Feb. 11, $NOT released his third studio album “Ethereal,” delivering a collection and assortment of entertaining, yet diverse tracks, catering to many different styles. A playthrough will bring listeners on an ethereal journey from their speakers to their ears.
The Florida rapper $NOT came up off Soundcloud back in 2016, releasing tracks to his local audience, but he broke through the underground flood with his breakout track “GOSHA” which showcased his low monotone delivery, his signature, his catchy writing and entrancing flow.
With the aid of a TikTok algorithm, and a beat which grabbed everyone’s attention, the dichotomy between the smooth and peaceful sample of a woman singing in the background against a hard 808 drum, $NOT was introduced to a mainstream audience of hip hop fans.
A week before “Ethereal” dropped, the single “Doja” was released, a drum-heavy song, and a staple in $NOT’s discography, with a feature from A$AP Rocky, who just experienced the biggest media moment in over a year with the announcement of him and Rhianna’s pregnancy. The track quickly gained traction, pushing $NOT’s monthly listeners on Spotify to over 10 million.
“Ethereal” is an album that, when listened to, feels like you’re riding in a spaceship through $NOT’s world, looking down on it as you feel the music.
$NOT has built up momentum with a growing fanbase, multiple Lyrical Lemonade videos, the biggest online hip-hop centered music video platform, and a smash hit “Tell Em,” a song by Cochise featuring $NOT, which garnered nearly 200 million listens on Spotify alone. A new $NOT project was awaited by many, and the release’s anticipation heightened the closer it got to the date; snippets posted on $NOT’s social media and single “Go” released Nov. 24 of last year.
The album is introduced with a track titled “My World,” a slow melody driven song that details his inner emotions and describes the sadness that follows him like he is a magnet. It ends with the last 30 seconds slowed down as a buildup and transition into the immediate mood shift of “Doja” bringing your spirits back up.
$NOT experiments with the two different moods throughout the project, his more somber and melancholy emotional songs where he is singing, as opposed to his typical strong and deep rap delivery.
Tracks like “5AM” and “Euphoric” help drive home the ethereal feel of the album. These spacey, synth-driven beats create the atmospheric sound of “Ethereal,” while songs like “Go,”
“Doja,” “BENZO” and “Fighting Me” entertain listeners with the familiar popular trap-styled drumbeat.
$NOT experiments with his slow sound on beats like “Halle Berry” feat. Juicy J and “How U Feel” feat. Joey Bada$$. His flow laidback over the chilled-out melodies and the features deliver perfect additions to the project. “How U Feel” feat. Joey Bada$$ has $NOT rapping over a boom bap beat, the sound of hip-hop made popular in the late 80’s and 90’s.
$NOT as a rapper has officially arrived as a force in hip-hop, the numbers on his hits speak for itself, but as an artist, “Ethereal” has $NOT at an elevated state.
Feature image courtesy of Bogomil Mihaylov.
