Over the past 10 years the sound of HipHop has changed dramatically. The introduction of new melodies and song construction has redefined the word genre. In an effort to keep abreast of the new sounds captivating the youth most consumers take to streaming services. This is where we discovered and unpacked the dark mysterious layers of Deadman Cyph.

Deadman Cyph is a 19-year-old New York native with a unique sound that cannot be claimed by any one region. On the surface, his music seems to be inspired by the likes of Kid Cudi, Travis Scott and rock. But by the second listen you’ll probably forget about those influences all together. His recently released debut album ThxUFthr begins with a hard hitting bass that could easily be used to score a suspense thriller. As he travels through the journal that documents his truth, the music maintains a dark element symbolic of his search for purpose.

The 13-track album has several pivotal moments. On “Snow” he touches on social topics of being alone on a journey on a crooked path, using symbolism to give listeners the opportunity to draw their own conclusions from his narrative. Songs like “God” sonically appear grim, but are rooted in the belief of a savior. Deadman Cyph’s clever approach to showing the juxtaposition between his lifestyle and longing for protection from his demons is a story we’ve heard but not like this. This artist clearly challenges his creativity at each point, leaving no stone unturned.

We got the chance to get some more insight on the development of ThxUFthr, which is currently available on Soundcloud, and iTunes. Here is what we found out.

If you could describe your mood while making this album, what would it be?

This album was a direct reflection of the time period A.Cache and I made it, mid-2016 up until now. Sonically, it’s really dark because that’s the experience I had for most of my life. The work comes from introspection on spiritual ideas and family history; the introduction, “INTROvert,” is the first song Cache and I made for the project and is a small summary of my ideas for TYF (ThxUFthr). A lot of depression was experienced from writing certain lyrics or touching on certain stories, but it’s all good because the art translated in the most passionate form it could be expressed as. Cache’s father passed away, God bless, the day he finished mastering this, so it’s a lot of personal affairs behind this.

How did you challenge your artistry on this project?

Creativity is something that must always expand. I don’t even think of progression in terms of projects, I try to top my most recent effort every time I make something new. A.Cache really innovated with his production. Our goal for this album was to create a sound that is entirely subjective, something that people can only hear from us while still pushing the explosive energy of this generation forward. I liked to experiment with my voice a lot for this project; different tones, weird background mixes, and just a new writing style in general. I’m expanding every day.

When did you comfortably say to yourself that the project is complete?

After recording “Old Man’s Dreams.” It wasn’t specifically meant to be the outro, but after hearing it I knew it was the best way to conclude the project; if that song was my thoughts the moment before death, I’m summing up my life and sharing my wisdom. Admitting my own faults before death so there will be rebirth.

Who has the biggest influence on your music ?

I’m my own creator so I inspire myself. I feel like people look to others too much nowadays for influence or new ideas, so I just make what can only be created by me. My team inspires me too. There are other artist tho that I have the upmost respect for but creative wise I try to not model after anyone .

Why do you believe this is a good time for you to be a part of Hip-hop?

Diversity. People will listen to this project and hear something that they haven’t heard before. They’re going to hear the crazy energy of this generation. They’re going to hear the lyricism. They’re going to hear the depression, the ignorance, the darkness. They’re going to hear the future, success, the light. Hip-hop has a lot of open-mindedness, which is why I know that listeners will appreciate my efforts in reaching outside of the genre.