Mykki Blanco - Mykki

Mykki Blanco’s career has resided in the form of mixtapes, singles and EPs since his beginnings in 2012. These releases have stayed firmly in the underground until now, where up surfaces a ‘proper’ debut album release to mess with the mainstream. Blanco has been consistently bold, unashamedly explicit and experimental throughout his career, finding a solid ground and identity in his androgynous form. Being self-titled, this debut LP sets itself up to be a personal affair, but it’s also one that brims with confidence.

Mykki’s confidence and grasp of melody is incredibly clear from the off. Low-slung rap is applied with brashness to ‘I’m In A Mood’, a statement of intent if ever there was one. There are more highlights to come. Lead single ‘High School Never Ends’ boasts flouishing strings alongside what sounds like a sample from the ‘Edward Scissorhands’ soundtrack. ‘Loner’ finds Jean Deaux providing complimentary backing vocals to Mykki’s unique baritone. Elsewhere, ‘The Plug Won’t’ churns its begrudging synths amongst cyborg-esque spurts discussing club culture. There are a few misfires, ‘My Nene’ features a pretty grinding and irritating motif - although Mykki does pull off a pretty accurate Prince screech midway through. And finale ‘Rock N Roll Dough’ doesn’t exactly round things off with a satisfying full stop.

The important advantage Blanco possesses from creating music for five years prior, is a clear sense of identity, a clarity which you don’t find on many debut albums. ‘Mykki’ is a promising starting point for some, a jump into a different league entirely for his following.