Zukenee’s Slaytanic Is Nostalgic Trap Bliss With A Twist
For all his vaguely quirky medieval imagery, Zukenee’s music is grounded in the more recent past. Hailing from Atlanta, the rapper who calls himself a Slayer — an alias and aesthetic that probably triples as a lifestyle or even quadruples as a philosophy — would’ve been either an idea or a mischievous lil’ squirt when I heard Trap Muzik, Trap House, or Trap Or Die for the first time. But his tracks pull straight from the 2000s: a collage of blunt rhymes, jumpy synths, and soft, Zaytoven-esque piano keys that could’ve soundtracked that lo-fi Reggie Bush highlight tape 22 years ago. It’s all a reminder that, bad as I want to, I can’t cop a $5 foot long and or touch the rim anymore. Less existentially, it’s the core of Slaytanic, a compelling new mixtape from an artist crystallizing his sound. Adorning trap music ephemera with interesting vocality, some welcome eccentricity, and splashes of distinct writing, Zukenee remixes the past for something new and intermittently electric.
Released last month, Slaytanic sees Zukenee continue to distance himself from the more generic sounds he used on projects like his 2022 releases Castle and Playful, where he used the same narcotized vocal effects and melodies of dozens of other post-Future wannabes. Things began to change with last year’s Guillotine and Birth Of St. Slay, when he largely ditched the warped Auto-Tune shit to flaunt more traditionally athletic rap flows; think early Gucci Mane. That in and of itself is arguably imitative too, but with so many other folks trying Thugger or Carti-esque eccentricities or Hendrix-like gurgling melodies, seeking inspiration further back on the trap timeline feels almost novel.
On Slaytanic, he continues the level-up. Playful yet slightly dangerous, “Cut Ya Hand” sees Zukenee skitter around buoyant violin strings for a mix of light flexes and implicit death threats. Here, his repetition embeds the track with subtle momentum that builds toward fun little micro-thrills. (I found myself repeating, “Pussy, pussy,” under my breath when I was making a sandwich this morning.) The Cade and Murda Beatz-produced “Game Winner” is similarly fun; Zukenee laces trap ice-cream-truck piano with a sticky melody that overcomes the emptiness of the hook, which amounts to little more than typical “real nigga” aphorisms. It all makes you feel like you’re part of the “real” who “gon’ relate” even if you are in fact just going to the office. Ditto for “Bromance,” a bouncy cut with an infectious refrain and a quirky one-liner that made me chuckle: “New Glock, the new stick bang/ She wanna eat Zuk’, do the mukbang.”
Burning through 13 songs in 25 minutes, Slaytanic is a kinetic cruise that carries you along to the finish before you can even consider disembarking, buoyed by Zukenee’s fully formed charisma and surprising attention to detail. There’s also an endearing juvenility to it all. “Stoopid Fool” is a childish taunt of a song that feels like a cross between early Jeezy, T.I. and Gucci Mane. Laced with some whimsical flutes, “Nun” nods to some of the fantastical framing in his lyricism: “Shoutout to my blacksmith, I need a new switch.”
While the nods to the whole Slayer thing can be fun, they can also feel a little hollow. Rapping about “Sticks & Swords” does sound pretty cool, but he’s still just kinda talking about money and weapons: “We keep sticks and swords where I’m from/ Don’t give a fuck about the Forbes, I got funds.” This doesn’t detract from the album in a major way, but it does make part of this concept feel like a non-committal attempt at distinctive branding, even if he develops it better at other parts of the tape.
The aesthetic attempts at differentiation hit a little harder; “In The Woods” feels like a campfire chant delivered just inside Camelot; its soft flutes and elegant violin are a fitting soundtrack for the danger, romance, and adventure awaiting over the kingdom’s walls. It’s an intriguing mix that, when blended with his retro Atlanta milieu, feels like something all his own — proving that you can travel to the past to bring your sounds into the future.
COLD AS ICE
Snoop Dogg - "Cold Summer" (Feat. Denaun)
I fuck with Iz It A Crime? more than most, and “Cold Summer” is a big reason why. This one is buoyant and fun but simultaneously, somewhat delightfully, grim af: “Girls, girls, girls, girls fighting/ Niggas, niggas, niggas out here shooting/ My people, people just be tripping/ I wonder if it could be different.” Snoop doesn’t really bother trying to answer that question, but there’s really no room to in the first place. (And … I don’t think it can be different … here). It’s more fun to dance anyway.
billy woods - "BLK XMAS" (Feat. Bruiser Wolf)
billy woods continues to prove he’s one of rap’s most visceral, haunting, and all-around gifted technicians. It’s early, but Golliwog might be rap album of the year. Maybe just the best album, period.
Bossman Dlow - "Hit" (Feat. Gucci Mane)
Bossman Dlow taps in with a trap god for a track that’s as stylish as it is boisterous. For his part, Gucci uses the most eccentric part of his voice to accentuate his flexes, which can even make Dlow’s seem tame.
Az Chike - "Game Time"
I didn’t think highly of him before — maybe it was because of the Drakeo The Ruler beef, or maybe I was just lightweight hating — but Az Chike has been doing God’s work behind this microphone. I fucked with the Joey Bada$$ diss, too, but “Game Time” is a perfect fusion of subtle aggression and effortless, agile style from a West Coaster who’s continuing to level up in a dope way.
J.I.D - "WRK"
J.I.D talked to me about a forthcoming album called God Does Like Ugly about five years ago, but that project seemingly just became The Forever Story. Now he’s resurrected the GDLU title for his next album, and lead single “WRK” already sounds as good or better than anything on the previous album, with JID flaunting all the acrobatics and wordplay that made him a star.
Young Thug - "Money On Money" (Feat. Future)
Thugger’s comeback solo single seemed to fall a little flat, but from where I’m sitting, he and Hendrix still go together like America and oppression. He’s already pushed back the album, but let’s hope the rest of it is as dope as this.
Joey Bada$$ - "My Town" (Feat. Loaded Lux)
Sometimes, Joey Bada$$ reminds me of the samurai in The Last Samurai (2003), a cultural purist fighting to maintain his warrior ways in a world that doesn’t quite value them. Also: because he’s currently defeating multiple opponents at once with diss tracks like this one. You could say his bars are … cutting 😎.
Latto - "Somebody"
Latto takes a break from being Big Mama for a genuine love song that’s energetic and refreshingly warm. She flaunts her customary agility, but she packages it all in a hook that’s genuinely pretty enthralling.
Chuckyy - "My World"
Chuckyy is going up. Just peep his new project I Live, I Die, I Live Again for evidence. Or start by checking out “My World” for a sampler. He flexes his typically laconic, yet somehow also speedy flow over a new wave-inflected track that’s reflective, violent and striking.
BabyChiefDoit - "Rat 4 Rat" (Feat. DthangFrm115)
I’m not sure how long the line is, but it’s looking like BabyChiefDoit is next up in Chicago and beyond. For this one, he assaults a Rick Ross and Lil Wayne classic with a barrage of quotables and impenetrable menace.
ROAST ME
(Me in bed w. The girl of my dreams)
Me: baby, tell me I did all I could in life
Her: ohh yeah, baby, your existence hasn’t been meaningless.
Me: tell me I won’t be swallowed by the ghosts of my past
Her: course not – that’s my job
Me: ahhh, fucckkkkkk
— The Shogun of Sorrow (@Pellz_) May 14, 2025
