“XTRA UUGLY is about being unapologetically you” says the young man who has been doing just that long before his music ever found its way to me. Born and raised in the gang-heavy South Central, CA as a social outcast in the protective bubble cast by his Pentecostal mother, DUCKWRTH is an eclectic, fearless, colorful artist creating his own niche based on the influences of West Coast hip-hop, classical music, and gospel records. On his latest mixtape XTRA UUGLY, DUCKWRTH cherry-picks elements from the worlds of rock, hip-hop, funk, and R&B to create a 13-track buffet of expressive, lively, engaging music.
There are lots of nice moments on the project, and those looking for a place to start should do so with tracks 4 and 5. “Bummer/2Bucks” begins as a soft, staggering beat with the faint but characteristic wavering chord associated with old school G-funk as DUCKWRTH raps quietly about the end of summer. The “2bucks” section starts with the sound of the ice cream truck before developing into a smooth, guitar-driven track punctuated by some smashing hi-hats. DUCKWRTH harmonizes nicely throughout and the beat undergoes yet another swift tempo shift as he goes from wondering how the ice cream tastes to wondering how his romantic interest would taste. It’s a busy song, but each phase is executed with an attention to detail that makes the transitions smooth and the lyrics easy enough to follow. “Boy” finds DUCKWRTH doing a more singing and rapping about being unafraid to challenge social conventions. This takes place over a slow guitar lick and dreamy synths that eventually pick up and become a fully-realized kick-snare beat incorporating both elements. This two-song stretch is a nice taste of DUCKWRTH’s talents and soon it becomes clear what sets him apart.
There are several artists in DUCKWRTH’s sonic lane trying to blend genres while both singing and rapping. DUCKWRTH holds the upper hand because he is both a stronger rapper and vocalist than many of his competitors. “Mansions Freestyle” puts his rapping chops on display as DUCKWRTH goes to work over a sparse, snappy beat with quicksilver rhymes before breaking into a nice little harmony at the end just for kicks. He sings in some capacity on nearly every track, using the unexpected vocal changes as seasonings for bridges, outros, and hooks. The rapping is consistent too, as the flow and lyrics on “Tamagotchi” remind us that he can, in fact, really rap. “Throwyassout” is a reminder that DUCKWRTH can sing too, as he harmonizes nicely throughout most of the track over some funky, jazz-inspired live instrumentation. The hook on “Backyard Miracles” comes to mind as another place to find some nice DUCKWRTH vocals.
The other thing that caught my ear when I heard this project was the rock inspirations. “Xtra,” “Wake Up!” and “Man in the Sky” are all guitar-driven tracks, but not in the ear-pounding, distorted way you’ve probably been hearing a lot lately. “Xtra” and “Man in the Sky” are both nicely balanced between hip-hop and rock, with “Xtra” winning as shredding electric guitar chords and big, choppy drums create a lot of noise but still work as DUCKWRTH proclaims “I’m so extra!” over the chorus. He gets even more extra on “Wake Up!” which didn’t resonate too strongly with me but is admittedly catchy. I would be remiss to omit the sweet guitar solo on the outro of “Tamagotchi” performed by Harlan Silverman over a tinny, glitchy beat.
It’s easy to find traces of DUCKWRTH’s unique personality and vision all over XTRA UUGLY; the violin on “Hello God,” the crazy, jerky beat on his ode to the King of Pop/come-on to a young lady “Michuul,” using what sounds like just a few notes played on a Casio keyboard as the beat for most of “Summer’s Exit.” The music he makes is playful and charming, with a certain organic garage band feel. DUCKWRTH seems to have a strong sense of self, especially as an artist, and that knowledge of his own vision allows him to craft music that is distinctly his. With imitators lining up to jump on the latest trends in the hope of hitting it big with someone else’s sound, DUCKWRTH is content to keep pushing his own in new directions.