Tebi Rex - “Lotus Eaters”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Earl Sweatshirt, Ed Sheeran, 21 Savage

Irish hip hop duo Tebi Rex seem head-turning on first glance, combining a rapper and a folksy pop singer into a singular sound, but they truly nail their approach on debut full-length The Young Will Eat the Old. Instead of fusing different forms, singer Matt O’Baoill often acts as the hook while rapper Max Zanga takes the verses, though Tebi Rex do have a chameleon-like perspective in all the different hip hop forms they explore on record. Split into three acts and broken up with some spoken-word trips, The Young Will Eat the Old dips into deep trap rhythms (“Robbin SZN”), jazzy psych-rap (highlight “Lotus Eaters”), and some upbeat dance pop on “I Never Got Off the Bus”. This type of genre-hopping would throw most off a core sound, but instead Tebi Rex pulls all ends of the sonic spectrum in through tight songwriting and performance. Whether dipping into introspective or bright pop territory, Tebi Rex commit and deliver with unique charm and technical mastery, an easy recommendation for an impressive live SXSW set. (Kevin McStravick)