Xtra Overdoze: “Viral Injection” – an ambitious work, and a highly engaging listen
For someone as seemingly underground as Xtra Overdoze, he sure does have an extraordinary impact. Originating as a top independent emcee out of New York, Xtra Overdoze has possessed a steadily growing reputation as one of the premiere underground rap artists. The game isn’t always kind to indie artists, but he persevered, and after his momentum bringing debut mixtape, “WTFIXO”, the artist is back with his brand new album, “Viral Injection”, about to drop the 8th of March. Of course when you’ve got a style of your own, which includes face paint, coming from his love for theatrics, you’re bound to get a few more buyers for shock value alone. Unlike most hip-hoppers and rappers of today’s music industry, Xtra Overdoze recalls back to the old days of aggression and hostility, albeit sounding drastically different in a beat and rhyme delivery sense.
“Viral Injection” finds Xtra Overdoze utilizing banging drums, distorted guitars and synths, popping basses, and gang-like chants to get his message out in center. The furious opener “Introjection” is venom-laced tale which starts off with a little skit, calling his music “incendiary”, couldn’t be any truer.
The whole album is a trip down rap’s path of high octane music, occasionally throwing in a reassuring, smooth instrumental passage, which focuses on Xtra Overdoze’s ear for sweeter beats. In general, the rapper is reflective of raw, internal emotions, which he wholly unleashes throughout this album.
But it’s in the rappers natural hostility that the album excels, with “My Mentality” and “What The Deal” being jackhammer tracks with harsh beats and sharp tongues. Xtra Overdoze’s explosive rhyme and lyrical delivery is more than just effective; it’s what often moves the songs along.
As is the case with the aforementioned cuts, which captivate while the NY rapper centers on his aggressive nature. Whether it’s in lyrical themes, beats, flow, or vocal approach Xtra Overdoze always has something in every aspect that makes him unique whether you like it or not. And he showcases the whole range on “What The Deal”.
Within the duration of this album Xtra Overdoze shows off his vocal acrobatics. His rapid fire flow mixes well with passages of varying pace. His average speed verses are just as impressive as his blazingly fast sections.
When Xtra Overdoze gets into one of his speedy verses, as he does on “Don’t Stop”, you might find yourself missing a lot of what he said, that’s how fast he is.
So you’ll be forced to hit replay a couple of times. Things are a lot easier on “Dead Language”. Though still abrasive in nature, Xtra Overdoze maintains a steady pace on this track. The song is extremely catchy and feels very genuine.
The guest spots on the album complement Xtra Overdoze’s style well, so it doesn’t hurt that he gets people like F.Dux on the sexually explicit “She a Freak”, or Lex the Hex master on the darker, more atmospheric “Sour Apple”, to chip in.
Apart from his impressive delivery, much of the appeal in Xtra Overdoze’s music is in the lyrics themselves. Sure, they‘re often over-the-top and cocky, but they‘re also brilliantly caustic and hard not to enjoy. “Viral Injection” is an ambitious work, and a highly engaging listen that’s boosted by energetic guest performances, and Xtra Overdoze’s blistering flows.
