Minneapolis rapper/producer Ecid has been operating on the fringes of rap music for close to a decade, with no co-sign, no angel investor, just an undeniable passion for contributing to the ever changing hip-hop landscape. It feels like just yesterday he was wearing 2xl t-shirts, recording his first songs using a dual tape deck and a stack of gangster rap instrumentals. Now he single handedly orchestrates every detail of his songs from start to finish at an effortless pace, all while wearing his eccentricities like a Super Bowl ring. 2012’s dark- yet triumphantly hopeful Werewolf Hologram showcased Ecid’s ability for abstract narratives and social commentary. A year later the two part EP series Post Euphoria found Ecid at his most rebellious and playful, allowing art to imitate life with a an open invitation into his world, a project that laid the creative groundwork for Pheromone Heavy.
While studying to become a yoga instructor Ecid had a creative breakthrough and for the first time as an artist he figured
out how to say exactly what he wanted to without forcing the listener to crack the code. The beats are ambitious, soaked in a monstrous, bombastic glory with moments of blissful minimalism that prepare you for the next smile-inducing surprise. This sound was achieved with expertly plucked samples, analog synths, household percussion, and a team of adventurous musicians that understood the sonic vision. On “Watch It Burn” Ecid empathizes with the father that abandoned him, dreaming up a justifiable scenario for his absence while critiquing societies romanticization of money and consumption, a theme that carries throughout the record.