Independently racking up over 5 million streams on DSPs and locking in a record deal with Amuse, London-born / Canada-raised artist 80purppp never intended on releasing his music publicly when creating. Instead he wanted to keep his work to himself as a journal and a way to channel his emotions after facing his first real heartbreak. What resulted is broad neo-soul-tinged and vulnerable verses, seductive melodies, and crisp, catchy production leading to the formation of his Violet High album, which dropped today.
Listen to all 8 tracks now, here.
The 8 track debut is a collection of songs derived from both controversial and popular themes surrounding high-school life, through the eyes of the typical student. From up-beat and catchy anthems on difficult subjects relating to both mental health and sexuality, to slower melodic songs dealing with breakups and fake friends, Violet High is a rare and authentic view of today’s teenage angst, all while remaining relatable for all to experience.
“The origins of this project lie in the story I want to tell as an artist. The realities of high-school life impacted me significantly both directly and indirectly. I knew I wanted to document/immortalize this stage because it’s been my life. What this project means to me, is simply my story. It’s my ups and downs, hopes and fears. It is the raw essence of who I am up to this point, and why that is. I truly discovered my artistic self during my time in high-school. Some of the themes explored weren’t always easy to convey. Mental health for example, an especially controversial issue at the moment finds itself embedded in the project. Finding a way to accurately depict the message dealing with mental health, while creating a song I wanted people to actually enjoy; was hard to say the least. The truth is that we all struggle with the things nobody wants to talk about, the only difference between me and another young artist you might listen to today is that I’m not afraid to address the topics that I believe are important in our society. Recording this project for me, helped me understand myself a little more. It opened up thoughts that weren’t always easy to deal with, but overall this project gave me a better understanding of who I am as an artist, as well as a person,” says 80purppp.
Ahead of the Violet High album release, 80purppp revealed “Unstable” which garnered pickup from the likes of Elevator, Spindle Magazine, The Hype Magazine, and The Word Is Bond to name a few. Fusing his trademark rap/R&B style with a subtle pop influence, the track is built on an original beat by Ric & Thadeus, marrying his relatable lyrics about life as a youth with slick production and a powerful hook. “This song means a lot to me mostly because it comes from the perspective of the average high school student,” says 80purppp. “Being in high school and basing this project off of my experiences left some really raw themes up for experimentation when it came to writing.” Spitting hyper-emotive bars over a mutual flirtation between guitar samples and an addictive hip-hop beat, the song delivers 80’s razor-sharp message in emotional tones that evoke the realities of life as a young person.
“This song is an anthem to all the youth who are like me, mentally or emotionally unstable,” he continues. “The message of the song is that you don’t have to let your condition define you, and in fact you can utilize what you’re going through in your everyday life.”
Earlier in the year 80purppp unveiled “Tay!,” a mid-tempo R&B groove with a soft undercurrent of disco. At first, “Tay!” hooks you with a drum machine groove you can’t help but nod your head to, before a melancholic keyboard line throws you off kilter and you’re hooked.
Armed with an addictive flow and unmistakable sense of style, the rapper is already giving his counterparts in The 6 a run for their money and he’s only just getting started.