With plenty of rumors of his alleged signing to Atlanta artist Playboi Carti’s label Opium, L5 has hit a lot of people’s radars. Also an artist from Atlanta, Georgia, L5’s music represents the hyper-aggression we’re seeing from newer acts like 2sdxrt3all & Anti da Menace. Manic ad-libs & murder rap are his focus, which would capture a different audience than Opium’s usually Rage-based sound. Whether he signs or not, his music adds to the exciting wave of new artists, so here we’ll take a look at some of albums.
L5 – Stating Facts
L5’s first project that can found doesn’t even seem to properly playlisted, the songs can found as loose tracks on streaming services in the Singles section. Titled Stating Facts, the six track EP is a rough release but the vision is there. Many tracks suffer from poor mixing, but despite the fire in his voice shines through. This proved to be only the beginning, since the next project would come a month later.
L5 – Nomo Free L5
This project feels like the real jumping off point if you were to start one. The energy is turned up to the max on each & every track, with his vocal style becoming truly unhinged. Beats take an interesting direction as well, sometimes incorporating samples & pulling sounds from mid-00s Atlanta-style productions but keeping the crazed-distortion heard throughout modern Soundcloud rap. Some tracks like “2006” feel exactly like that Gucci Mane mixtape era, but tracks like “You A Fool” use this forward-looking sound.
L5 – Nomo Free L5 Deluxe
The deluxe for Nomo Free L5 came just a month later, adding another seven tracks to his discography. The stakes aren’t raised here, but continue his absurdly relentless style. We do get to hear him with higher profile artists as well, Lil Tony Official’s feature showcases how his sounds fits with the rest of the current Atlanta musical landscape.
L5 – Blood on Switch St.
If there’s any album that needs to be heard in this list, its this one. This one goes completely in on the samples, Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit” on the intro track, Veeze’s “GOMD” on the track of the same name and plenty more. This one gives a little more range to his sound as well, “Momma We Made It” opts for a autotuned ballad & “Naw FR” sees a bouncier beat than usual (but just as distorted as ever). These small changes never take away from his in-your-face style, but add to his overall style to create a more complete feel to the project. Filled with surprises at each corner, this is the one to check.