Villv ‘Losing Villv’ Review

Unafraid to hold his tongue in any situation, Villv is your friendly neighborhood rapper from the 9ine who’ll always have your back. Though the truth hurts at times, he’d rather be honest than lie to those he loves. His latest project, Losing Villv abides by this statement. In 10-minutes, listeners will get an earful of the rapper using his villainous flow, as he puts it. 

The three tracks also see Villv being transparent, delving into topics like his friends, himself, and other personal encounters. “I would say my sound has evolved.” Villv says, “Initially, I started with a lot of Dilla beats which made my sound very boom-bap/old school whereas now I’ve become more melodic with my hooks and even some of my verses. I would say right now; my sound is XO meets TDE. A lot of bars and crazy flows, but heart-felt, catchy melodic tracks grab the listener’s attention.”

From Losing Villv, the artist says to expect some food for thought. “They’ll be a lot of switch-ups with flows, all in one verse, of course, catchy hooks, a quick progression from chill to turnt-up vibes, and a whole lot of Villvlicious-ness,” he adds. Losing Villv came about after he finished his upcoming project. 

He ran into this 2 part instrumental that started with a contemporary/ old school hip hop vibe and transitioned into an opposing mainstream sound that threw him off at first. But because of his discovery, he reminisced about how he would often rap on 90’s type beats. “It made me realize how my sound had changed even though initially, I told myself I would never make trap mainstream music.” he continues, “So in a sense, I felt I had lost the person I thought I was.” 

Shortly after, Villv started writing, and the finished product became the first track off “Losing Villv.” “The idea of me losing myself in rap stuck to me so much that I wanted to make a little EP. I wanted to introduce my audience to who Villv is and how quickly he’s changed. Villv went from freestyling bars to catchy structured songs before showing everybody who Villv has transformed into.” he says, “This idea leads to my next project coming soon!” 

Villv’s favorite entendre from his project goes, “My sixth sense tatted on me now, left hook to your fucking face that’s a “Millie” rock sound.” It’s categorized as an entendre because Villv has his mother’s name, Millie, tatted on his left arm. 

The first track, “Losing Villv,” carries a jazzy soundscape full of ascending piano riffs, cymbals, snares, and a booming bassline. Between lyrics, he talks about his opinion on settling-down, what he’s learned about himself and those around him, and the world’s obsession with body image. In the second half of “Losing Villv,” the beat takes a calmer approach with more electro synths and open hi-hats. Here, Villv speaks about an intimate encounter with a woman whos thick. Then, he gets personal and speaks lightly on his experience with depression and anxiety.

Interestingly, Villv even concludes that its more straightforward to lust than love, which everyone can agree on. At first, the artist uses a multi-syllabled flow that crossovers between a swift one. Yet in the second half, he dabbles with auto-tuning and a sing-song cadence. 

“Workout” explores Villv’s brutally honest rhymes. Over an infectious flute progression, hi-hats, and a thumping bassline, Villv speaks on his refusal to love and current ways with women. Deeper into the track, he also brags about recent accomplishments shared between himself and his crew. Ultimately, he’s focused more on turning “these pennies into dimes.” Throughout the song, Villv crossovers between a bouncy and rapid flow. One honorable punchline goes, “I’m subzero with this ice on.” The song, Villv says, gave him the energy he needed to get through recording it. “The hook itself was hilarious when it popped in my head. It’s a braggadocious track of having that “glow up” moment in your life and feeling like you’re on top of the world.” he says. 

Lastly, “Shway Shway” ft. Marsalis Davis sees the rapper using a mile-a-minute flow. Production-wise, the song is eerie and carries a load of open hi-hats and low hitting base. First, Villv speaks about remaining focused on the cash in a world of deceiving souls. He talks about moments when he’s able to let loose as well. Towards the minute mark, Marsalis Davis displays his melodic auto-tune. Before getting into his verse, Davis forewarns those who try stepping to them sideways. Like Villv, Davis uses a rapid flow to detail his swooning powers and everlasting Shway Shway. As the song continues, Davis also unveils a bit about his past and how having haters only pushes him to go harder. 

To conclude, music, for Villv, is a creative outlet and therapeutic. “As an only child raised by a single parent, it is a father/son relationship. There wasn’t a lot of communication on an emotional level growing up. Music taught me how to be vulnerable despite being mostly around masculine figures. Sometimes I feel that my unconscious wakes up when I hear a beat that speaks to me, and a part of it escaped through my writing.” 

His advice for those creating their first album is not to overthink it. “Whether it’d be a conceptual album or just a compilation of tracks, make sure it represents who you are. Create a body of work that paints a picture of a moment in your life you want the world to see, and something that you would want to look back at in the future.”

 

Listen to Losing Villv by Villv below: