Lil Peep’s death was a tragedy, but it was something he was always willing to accept. On his track, “we think too much,” he raps, “Long enough, but I think I’ma die now, oh-oh, ayy, ayy / I just keep it to myself and I try not to cry too loud.”
Peep lived on the edge, and you could tell by his music. As he sang, his voice trembled as if he had just finished crying. He also was able to inject vulnerability into the alpha dominated genre of rap. The artist made being sad cool — something that no other rapper would even dream of doing.
Before Peep tragically passed, he released music that spoke to people when they were at their worst. His last mixtape, “Hellboy,” released in 2016, is what started to push him into the mainstream. This is where Peep was able to create a recognizable sound and distinct quirks that are associated with his music. The album was re-released on all streaming platforms Sept. 24.
The title track “hellboy” is an excellent encapsulation of what a Peep song is. A solo guitar fades in; in a minor key. The song then begins to speed up when snare drums come in, followed by Peep’s brooding yet calming voice. The track’s lyrics are riddled with sadness and show how Peep began to isolate himself. He speaks about feeling lonely because he is constantly touring and even surrounding himself with people who want him for his fame. These sentiments become a common theme as Peep’s music begins to progress from this album. “Leave me to bleed, I know I got you on your knees / But something keeps on telling me / It keeps on tellin’ / Peep leave it alone, I’m good on my own.”
Peep never hid his deep feelings. In many of his songs, he raps about his depression and feeling that death is quickly approaching him, which was even more significant because he did die so young. On the second track, “drive by,” he clarifies how he feels about life. Over an intense array of heavy synths and car samples, he sings, “I’ma die, I ain’t even 25.” He passed when he was 21.
Looking back on this mixtape, it’s somewhat staggering to see the many warning signs Peep gave off in his music. The track “OMFG” is one of the most depressing songs because it shows the negative way in which the artist viewed himself. It starts simple enough with an effortless guitar melody before Peep goes into his feeling of futility: “I used to wanna kill myself / Came up, still wanna kill myself / My life is goin’ nowhere / I want everyone to know that I don’t care.” While it is depressing, it shows a lot of strength to speak about suicidal feelings. It helps his fans know that they aren’t alone if they feel that way.
Another moment of definition for Lil Peep are his collaborations with Lil Tracy. The two artists mesh so well together in tone and the flow of their rap. Their aesthetics of heavily tattooed soft boys are also matched. “cobain” is the quintessential collaboration between the two, full of fast-paced flows, hectic beats and lyrics about women, drugs and showing off. It also creates an interesting comparison between Peep and the late Nirvana singer: both drowned in their stardom and fell victim to drug addiction.
While the album does give off eerie warning signs about Peep’s demise, it also helped propel his sound. He somehow managed to make sad music to headbang to. He also created space for many rappers to be more vulnerable with their fans. What made Peep shine so bright is that he never hid his imperfections to appeal to the masses.