XV, the Kansas-grown and Warner Bros. signed rapper, is preparing to take off on his Midwest State of Mind Tour, January 21st, but before doing so, graced us with a new track called "Squarian Anthem", a seething track that's nearly foaming at the mouth with smugness. Comparing himself to Rosa Parks, Spike Lee, Mozart, and a Santa-sized Christmas sack full of others, XV doesn't miss an opportunity to stress his level of versatility. Rapped around a chorus that is surely a shot at the hipster legion, XV presents us with a facade that establishes himself as a renaissance man– explaining that he is indeed more introspective, intelligent, and artistic than the next guy. But, it really all comes together if you think about it, because as he states in the beginning, "I made the rules." So, by drawing parallels to a motley assortment of influential people from history, all he's really saying is that he shaped the rap game. Understandable. It's a shame to see that XV has gone the pretentious route with his new "Squarian Anthem." On other songs, like "The Kick" and "Awesome," he took a much more modest and amiable approach with the construction of his songs. Maybe with his tour in the horizon he's just getting a little big-headed, but even with this latest drop, he's still a respectable artist. Check the song out and enjoy!
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