On November 15th, 2017, the music industry lost a key piece in the new age of “soundcloud rappers.” Gustav Ahr, better known as Lil Peep, unfortunately lost his lengthy battle with drug addiction, and overdosed while on tour in Tucson, Arizona. He was only 21. As soon as news of his death broke, it threw the music industry, and his cult following into a spiral, making the public reconsider the lifestyle these artist portray in their music.
Peep was known in the music industry for his lo-fi sound, and bringing “emo rap/hip-hop” back to the main stage. With his heavily tattooed body, painted nails, and eccentric style, Peep brought a flavor to the rap game that we have been missing. Jon Caramanica of the New York Times even went as far to define Peep as “the Kurt Cobain of lo-fi rap.”
His musical style was heavily influenced by his favorite artists, citing such as David Bowie, Frank Ocean, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Seshollowaterboyz, My Chemical Romance, and even Panic! at the Disco as his inspirations. His lyrics often talked about his struggles with depression, thoughts of suicide, his heavy dependency on drugs, such as xanax, ecstasy, and cocaine, alcohol abuse, and even witchcraft in some cases. Peep was an extremely troubled individual, and he used his music not only as an outlet, but also as a way to help others going through the same pain he was. This is apparent in the outpour of love and support his family and friends have received from fans around the world.
Peep left us with an extensive discography of four official mixtapes and one album. His first two projects, “Lil Peep Part One” and “Live Forever”, which were both released in 2015, got the attention of many individuals in the underground rap scene but didn’t get him the fame he truly deserved. It wasn’t until the his 3rd release, “Crybaby”, that Peep gained the notoriety he was striving for. This album featured his GothBoyClique members and catapulted he and his friends into internet stardom. With songs such as “White Tee”, “Yesterday”, and “Ghost Girl”, you can really hear the pain in Peep’s voice as he gets out everything that has been troubling him over his short lifetime through his music.
His last, and only, album “Come Over When You’re Sober Pt.1” follows this same theme as his earlier releases, detailing his struggles with drugs and alcohol, his crippling depression, and his love life. This album was released on August 15th, 2017, exactly three months before his untimely death. Although this release is only seven songs long, every track holds its weight, making this album his best drop so far. Unfortunately, this album did not chart when it was released, but after news of his death broke, it peaked at #38, giving Peep the credit he deserved for putting out such a solid body of work.
Although Lil Peep is no longer with us, his music, and his influence on the music industry will carry on. He will go down as one of the pioneers of this giant SoundCloud boom of artists we have been seeing the past couple years, and his legacy will live forever through his music. Hopefully his death will shed light on the way these artists are glorifying and abusing these drugs that will ultimately kill them.
