XXXTentacion is a rapper who is best known for being the last significant rapper of the “SoundCloud” era, before his death last summer. He, along with some of his contemporaries, such as Ski Mask the Slump God, Kid Trunks, Rojas, Lil Peep, and 16yearold are credited for introducing a new sound to the already changing musical dynamic of trap-rap in 2016. Their sound was grimy, unrefined, and darker in tone and content, often depicting the harsh realities of their lives and the events that happen around them. It’s not a surprise that when Tentacion gained traction for his hit “Look at Me”, people were already calling for his release from prison, flooding social media with his name alongside the hashtag #freeX.
One aspect of the personality of a creative is that they “have a great deal of energy, but are often quiet and at rest” (Csikszentmihalyi, 58). This was the case with Tentacion, as he was seen regularly celebrating his success with his family and close friends. However, during his performances and releases, his energy could be observed. Although his concerts were few and far between, they were extremely intense (both for fans and him). He would consistently spend “many hours” in the recording studio “with great concentration”, making a large collection of music that would mostly go unreleased, as he would subject himself to harsh self-scrutiny in order to reach a high standard that he would establish for himself (Csikszentmihalyi, 58).
Another paradoxical facet of the personality of a creative is their split tendencies between “extroversion and introversion” in relation to their creative pursuits (Csikszentmihalyi, 65). He was a frequent meditator, often stepping back from any social media in order to be alone and introspect in order to better understand himself and the music that he was releasing. His album, 17, is a good example of this. The album is dark, focusing on Tentacion’s struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts, his place in the industry, and his relationships. It’s mostly a solo project, allowing the album to serve as a window into the mind of Tentacion. "Jocelyn Flores" was a reflection of the anguish he felt when someone close to him killed herself. He talked about his suicidal thoughts and his self hatred, as he felt responsible for the death of the girl.
In contrast, his love for collaboration and his fellow musicians shines through, especially in the case of his group, Members Only. Like many creatives, Tentacion often collaborated with people within his domain, and used his creative pursuit as a means to connect to people. Ski Mask the Slump God became friends with Tentacion in a juvenile detention center. They connected over their love for making music, and frequently collaborated after they served their time. Tentacion’s reach in the music community reached out beyond his group, however, as he was known for frequently acting as a mentor figure for various artists such as Billie Eilish, Juice Wrld, and Lil Uzi Vert.
Another thing that Tentacion was known for was his versatility in his music. His musical range encompassed a plethora of genres, including reggae, old-school rap, heavy metal, and punk rock. This is attributed to the creative process of collecting, with Tentacion gathering inspiration for these genres from artists such as Tupac, Papa Roach, or Slipknot. His musical versatility was considered very unique for the rap scene, and in turn created a new generation of rappers such as Lil Nas X, another artist with a wide range of musical applications.
However, XXXTentacion’s career was cut short when he was tragically gunned down in his car last summer. Although he was unable to fully flourish as a creative due to his death, I believe that he had the ability to become a big C creative, due to not only his role in the domain and field, but also the personality that he shares with many other creatives.
Sources: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uhpuj9txzggs4kq/AAA3y0xXrumCvy3Aj1Bm4AfXa/Readings/aWeek%205%20-%20Personality?dl=0&preview=csikszentmihalyi_chapter3_REQUIRED.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17_(XXXTentacion_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XXXTentacion
One aspect of the personality of a creative is that they “have a great deal of energy, but are often quiet and at rest” (Csikszentmihalyi, 58). This was the case with Tentacion, as he was seen regularly celebrating his success with his family and close friends. However, during his performances and releases, his energy could be observed. Although his concerts were few and far between, they were extremely intense (both for fans and him). He would consistently spend “many hours” in the recording studio “with great concentration”, making a large collection of music that would mostly go unreleased, as he would subject himself to harsh self-scrutiny in order to reach a high standard that he would establish for himself (Csikszentmihalyi, 58).
Another paradoxical facet of the personality of a creative is their split tendencies between “extroversion and introversion” in relation to their creative pursuits (Csikszentmihalyi, 65). He was a frequent meditator, often stepping back from any social media in order to be alone and introspect in order to better understand himself and the music that he was releasing. His album, 17, is a good example of this. The album is dark, focusing on Tentacion’s struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts, his place in the industry, and his relationships. It’s mostly a solo project, allowing the album to serve as a window into the mind of Tentacion. "Jocelyn Flores" was a reflection of the anguish he felt when someone close to him killed herself. He talked about his suicidal thoughts and his self hatred, as he felt responsible for the death of the girl.
In contrast, his love for collaboration and his fellow musicians shines through, especially in the case of his group, Members Only. Like many creatives, Tentacion often collaborated with people within his domain, and used his creative pursuit as a means to connect to people. Ski Mask the Slump God became friends with Tentacion in a juvenile detention center. They connected over their love for making music, and frequently collaborated after they served their time. Tentacion’s reach in the music community reached out beyond his group, however, as he was known for frequently acting as a mentor figure for various artists such as Billie Eilish, Juice Wrld, and Lil Uzi Vert.
Another thing that Tentacion was known for was his versatility in his music. His musical range encompassed a plethora of genres, including reggae, old-school rap, heavy metal, and punk rock. This is attributed to the creative process of collecting, with Tentacion gathering inspiration for these genres from artists such as Tupac, Papa Roach, or Slipknot. His musical versatility was considered very unique for the rap scene, and in turn created a new generation of rappers such as Lil Nas X, another artist with a wide range of musical applications.
However, XXXTentacion’s career was cut short when he was tragically gunned down in his car last summer. Although he was unable to fully flourish as a creative due to his death, I believe that he had the ability to become a big C creative, due to not only his role in the domain and field, but also the personality that he shares with many other creatives.
Sources: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uhpuj9txzggs4kq/AAA3y0xXrumCvy3Aj1Bm4AfXa/Readings/aWeek%205%20-%20Personality?dl=0&preview=csikszentmihalyi_chapter3_REQUIRED.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17_(XXXTentacion_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XXXTentacion
I really enjoyed your blog post and the way that you described XXXTentacion's creative process. I only knew a few of his songs before his death and never really did any research on him, but I'm glad I learned more about him because I really did enjoy his music. I think I liked his music so much because of how different it was for the rap scene, and I definitely do think he would have become a "Big-C" creative if his life had not been cut short. I also loved how his lyrics were real and about real problems that people face today because a lot of rappers rap about girls and money. I really felt that XXXTentacion had pure content that would have just gotten even better with time.
ReplyDeleteX did quite literally anything he wanted to do with his music, and it all turned out to be fairly popular. Your description of X's and Ski Mask's relationship shows that one's passion can find a way to manifest itself, even in the bleakest of circumstances.
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