Coming with a dark, challenging, and ultimately rewarding sound is 19-year-old Deadman Cyph of Bay Shore, Long Island. His debut solo album, ThxUFthr, is a remarkably focused and inspired vision for such a young rapper. Across the 13-track project, Cyph and his go-to producer, the classically trained A.Cache, embark on many sonic explorations that are unfamiliar to hip-hop.
Though his influences range from classical to jazz to hard rock, Cyph is not one to dismiss the aesthetics of modern rap. Indeed, much of ThxUFthr is characterized by a fresh attitude and a sense of new-school adrenaline -- thus making for a project that will appeal to a wide array of hip-hop fans. First-time listeners would do well to start with the tracks "INTROvert," "God," and "Jewelry."