Chinese emo rapper Cykko dropped a new bilingual track titled “Fall Down” on February 25. Released by Drink Entertainment, the song has a melodic beat and crooning, auto-tuned vocals, and will be part of the rapper’s first-ever mixtape, which is set to be unleashed upon fans in the second quarter of 2022.
According to a press release shared with RADII, the song is about the toxic behavior between a couple after their relationship has deteriorated.
“The male protagonist has been chipped away slowly by the relationship, free-falling off a cliff and grasping at straws to save himself,” Cykko said in the press release.
The genre of melodic emo rap emerged in the U.S. in the mid-2010s and is characterized by the blending of hip hop and emo music.
Some of the pioneers of emo rap include XXXTENTACION, Lil Peep, and Juice WRLD, all three of whom tragically died at the age of 20 or 21. Emo rappers are known for infusing dark themes into their lyrics, such as depression, drug addiction, and suicide.
The genre is growing in China, with the rise of young artists like Bloodz Boi, Psyclo, and Cykko.
Born in China and now studying in Singapore, Cykko is one of the emergent voices in the East Asian emo rap scene. He started his rap career in 2019 and has dropped 18 singles in the past 14 months.
Cykko often jumps between Mandarin and English when writing his lyrics. This bilingual writing style is not uncommon among Chinese rappers, who grew up listening to American hip hop and mix their understanding of foreign rap with their Chinese identity.
Following the release of his debut single “Morning_Blue” in 2021, the rapper told Lifted Asia he hopes his music can serve as “a channel for like-minded people who are strong outwardly but yet insecure to express their feelings.”
Cykko cites American emo rappers XXXTENTACION and Juice WRLD as inspirations, alongside Chinese hip hop stars like GAI.
All images courtesy of Drink Entertainment
