ROUND 1 · FEEDBACK

YNG SLLVN

Psychedelic crime rap from Phoenix and Richmond

RANK #19

DISPLAY SCORE 6.02 / 10

100 Club 209 plays on SoundCloud
Local Hero top 3 in VPC-site hearts with 2 likes
Full Package audio + art + lyrics + both writeups

TOTAL REACH — 241 plays rank 3 / 23

SOUNDCLOUD 209
YOUTUBE 26
VPC SITE 6

TOTAL LIKES — 8 rank 10 / 23

SOUNDCLOUD 6
VPC SITE 2
YOUTUBE 0

DiableAnge

Vocalist's challenge writeup

"As with every YNG SLLVN song ever written, I let the beat dictate what I'm going to write about and then work from there. This beat was made under the oppressive auspices of capitalism and the ways it can press you for extra labor when you don't want it to, and that became one of the voices that the Devil wears: 'you can't afford to color outside the lines, you have to work. you need respectability. you need employability.' This isn't its only guise, and that guise subtly mutates throughout the Devil's portion of this song. The Angel, however, refuses to sugarcoat and speaks more directly to the listener about the challenges that an authentic life presents."

Producer's challenge writeup

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wNHzUcG7PjE-ttQ_sbevdOhnb_DkrmlF/view?usp=drivesdk

Lyrics

wake up baby a brand new day just dawned to do fucking nothing
sit on the couch and wait for your ass to flatten out the stuffing
no good chems are left for huffing, no good bets are left for bluffing
no classes left for cutting, when you're up at bat you're bunting
can't lose if you don't play, don't pass Go, just pass away
so shut your mouth, act right, and everything'll be okay

listen to the devil on the shoulder
pouring poison in the ear
it doesn't matter if you're bold or
you think that you have nothing that you fear
listen to the devil on the shoulder
it keeps you safe and in your place 
where you belong

when opportunity knocks, tell that bitch you're calling the cops
it's metro boulot dodo then you shop until you drop
if fortune favors the bold just say 'sorry I have a cold'
make up an excuse: your skin has turned puce
your grandma's on fire, you're old
eat, sleep, work, repeat
LET THEM STEAL YOUR VALUE 'TIL YOU'RE DEAD

you may get hurt, but you could be free
I am now thou and thou art now me
roll of the dice, deal of the card
are you all-in? show them your heart
drown that velvet voice that wants to keep you still
if god is inside you, then do what you will
a world of worlds is out there for the taking
or out there for the making

JUDGES' BREAKDOWN

LEX the Lexicon Artist
5.67/10 score rank #20 of 23

VOCALS 6

PRODUCTION 8

CHALLENGE 3

Does not meet the challenge of using a metaphor. There is no clear comparison of “THING 1 is being compared to THING 2.” Not one that I can decipher based on a few listens and reads anyway. A metaphor is comparing two things that are completely different, drawing similarities between the two using clever wording and imagery. This song is pretty face-value: “Fuck the rat race.” Which I agree with, but it’s not a metaphor. I was impressed with the use of “metro boulot dodo” which I thought was deep cut French slang. Pronounced correctly too! I like the noisy production style, very captivating and fun to listen to. Enough switch-ups to keep my attention. Whole track feels a bit incomplete. “your grandma's on fire, you're old” = LMAOOOOO
Ben Tarkus
6.00/10 score rank #17 of 23

VOCALS 4

PRODUCTION 6

CHALLENGE 8

A solid R1 entry. I think the messaging here got across but the vocal delivery was a little muddled at times. Despite that, the beat bops throughout and keeps the head moving along to the very end.
Richie Branson
6.67/10 score rank #14 of 23

VOCALS 7

PRODUCTION 6

CHALLENGE 7

Flow stays interesting. Energy on the second lines after the devil on your shoulder line seems to deflate energy wise. Would have liked to hear another hook after the beat switch verse. The beat is straight, has some switches that keep it new. like the vocal FX on the second part during the beat switch. Vocal mix could use a bit more presence.
Klopfenpop
8.00/10 score rank #6 of 23

VOCALS 8

PRODUCTION 8

CHALLENGE 8

I love the sample transformations. Everything sounds really nice. I always love that aliased glow across your beats. Always love LL YZZ’s flow. Ride it. I wish their vocal mix in the hook was a bit more distinct from the verse–I think a second vocal track on the hook could sound great with the one that’s there soft-panned away from each other a little, maybe with some dark spring reverb or mild space echo. The lyrical imagery is very compelling. The metaphor of internal struggles with how to respond to a system that exploits us for our labor is very effective. Some bars in here, for sure.
Mark Cooper
7.67/10 score rank #13 of 23

VOCALS 7

PRODUCTION 8

CHALLENGE 8

I enjoyed the concept of the metaphor! Having a person with an angel and a devil perspective in life is something that could be relatable to some. I feel that if there was a little more of a dynamic in the song that would make the conversation between the angel and devil more noticeable in the song so the listener can follow along more would take this to a different level. The song already has a dark tone with singing vocals added to the touch so there's room for a happy medium. ● Production: dirty and gritty beats always go hard and are a smart go to. Adding elements such as xylophones and plucks can really open up the darker tones in the melodies. Explore a little more different style of instruments, you’d be surprised what comes out.

AUDIENCE SCORE

3.69 / 10

Aggregated from 74 ballots cast by the public.

AUDIENCE RANK

21 / 23

Out of 23 teams competing this round.

15 voters ranked them in their top 10
8 voters had them in their top 5
3 voters picked them as their #1 favorite

FINAL BLEND

The final score was a 6.02. The song received an average voter score of 3.69 from the community, and an average judge score of 6.80.

The display score blends the audience and judges' contributions at 25%/75%. Here's how YNG SLLVN's 6.02 broke down:

0.92 from audience

5.10 from judges

(3.69 × 25%) + (6.80 × 75%) = 6.02

YOUR SEASON SO FAR

Round 1 6.02 / 10 rank #19
Round 2 6.72 / 10 rank #14 PERSONAL BEST

TOTAL REACH — 241 plays · rank 3 / 23

TOTAL LIKES — 8 · rank 10 / 23