It's been almost four years since Pennsylvania rapper Lil Peep passed away- though some of his music that was locked away on Soundcloud and Youtube are finally getting to see the light of day. Castles II, a collaborative tape with fellow emo-rapper Lil Tracy, has now become the next Lil Peep mixtape to make the transition onto Apple Music and Spotify in the years following his death. Castles II is a fan-favorite Peep project and contains one of his most successful tracks to date- "witchblades".
Castles II originally dropped in February 6, 2017, and features some of Lil Peep and Lil Tracy's most impressive vocal performances and interesting production. Tracy and Peep truly find a way to play off of each other; and though they both attempt to capture a similar vibe, they approach it in different ways. Whereas Peep can be more subtle or mystic with his wordplay and understated with his singing, Tracy thrives off of melodramatic melodies and lyrics you might find in a teenager's vampire novel- but in the best way possible. Castles II is aware of its heavy emo influences and wears it on its sleeve, so much so that it's hard not to admire its determination.
Songs like "witchblades" and "favorite dress" are prime examples of this unfazed approach to emo-rap. They are wildly theatrical at times with sad and soppy wordplay with references to vampires and death. After giving the mixtape a few listen, you realize that this is where the genius lies- not in their off-brand approaches but in the world they were trying to create.
Check out the mixtape below and let us know what you think:
Tracklist:
1. never eat, never sleep
2. dying out west
3. switchblades
4. past the castle walls
5. your favorite dress
