A Miami, Florida native who has quickly become one of the scene’s most prolific and exciting talents, St. Laviathan is back with another massive and introspective release, bridging the gap between old school and new school rap sounds with the help of his younger brother.
In previous singles like ‘Torment’ and ‘Heat of the Moment’, we’ve seen how raw and honest St. Laviathan can be, channelling his personal experiences into his music to create songs that are visceral and step above the mainstream and cliché ridden mainstream. In his latest release, St. Laviathan has taken things one step further, collaborating with his younger brother Tuxedo Mask to create a single that crosses genres, eras, and even perceptions.
Produced by TellingBeatzz, and set for its official release on the 10th of April this year, ‘Reflections’ sees St. Laviathan peering into the past and opening up about lingering discontent. Originally written just after the release of his sophomore single ‘Laviamata’, ‘Reflections’ sees St. Laviathan looking back at his life and taking stock, questioning if he should keep going with his rap career. It’s an emotional piece, and one that sees the artist speaking openly to a young version of himself, which is brother plays to perfection.
Musically, the single takes shape through a trippy cinematic beat and overlapping samples, ‘Reflections’ is an evocative, 80s-tinged anthem that helps blur the lines between more clean-cut rap and smooth R&B. Both artists do a brilliant job playing their part, working with each other seamlessly to make their own individual marks, while also elevating the track to perfection.
Speaking about the single, St. Laviathan explained, “I wrote this after 'Laviamata' and I still had some discontent lingering from the fallout with my then ex. I was still bitter but well into album mode. The beat was trippy and took me on a journey every time I would vibe to it. I'd fall into this space where I was just reflecting on all I had been through in my life up until that point. It was sobering. I was even questioning where I stood with music. Not necessarily doubting myself, but questioning if I should keep going because I was getting older and, historically, rap is branded as a young man's sport. I'm essentially talking to a younger version of myself in my verse and afterwards I got the idea to include my brother.”
“I knew he'd fit right with the music and the song would be me schooling him on what to look out for, sharing what I learned along the way, and how he could avoid some of the pitfalls I had. Him as a representation of today's youth, the jewels I give him here will hopefully reach them too. We both have the same birthday, and he reminds me of myself in a lot of aspects. I'm essentially passing him the torch in this record. I'm very proud of him and his contribution here. He definitely stole the show. Overall, a piece I'm very proud of.”
Following a tumultuous breakup in 2019, Saint returned home to Miami from Las Vegas with a renewed sense of self and purpose. He founded Laviamata Records LLC in June of 2020, and released his debut single ‘Saint Is the Victor’ later that year, on the 21st of August.
Set for official release on the 10th of April this year, ‘Reflections’ is arguably one of St. Laviathan’s most impressive releases to date, showing his creativity and collaborative spirit in true form. You can stream the single ahead of its release date exclusively on Soundcloud above. For more from St. Laviathan, make sure you follow him on his social media pages below.
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