The second album from 20-year-old New York native WILCON is here, and while you may have not heard of him before it will certainly be a name to write down. YOUTUBE JESUS is a homage to how WILCON got his start in rapping, utilizing resources available to him such as beats from YouTube - a familiar feeling to other artists searching for production.

Speaking on the album, WILCON said, “Years of combing through beats and writing whack ass bars led to me figuring out what styles I actually could do well on. This project is the culmination of all those years, and signifies the ending of my era of rapping on beats designed for other artists.” He is making clear who he is and who he is going to be throughout the project, rapping on the second track that while he has been compared to Eminem, young Mac Miller, and Jack Harlow, he is cementing himself as WILCON.  

This is just one of the many cleverly worked bars throughout the project. The first track, “Drum Beater / 3 Homes” begins by dexterously counting within the lyrics. On “Cream of the Crop” he raps, “Young chef I’m a rat Ratatouille / Cooking up some green eggs mix it with the blue cheese / Let it sit for three days it gets kinda gooey / You gotta chop its head off like King Louis” referencing children’s media Ratatouille and Green Eggs and Ham, yet contrasted by King Louis XVI who was executed by guillotine.  

It doesn’t stop there as WILCON utilizes many different flows throughout the album, showing off his rapping versatility while making each track a different listen. My personal favorite is “Natural” due to this flexibility, as his flows constantly change throughout, and each listen I find a new lyric that catches my attention. The slight parts of voice distortion add a different element, allowing for slick transitions. The message on the chorus rings true as well, as WILCON speaks to the grind it takes to achieve one’s dreams.

“Cream of the Crop” is also a standout, a bit of a switch up in style on the album. It’s rawer rapping, entering almost angry, yet slowly becomes calmer as it goes on. It’s led by an alluring rhyme scheme on the chorus, something that isn’t as prevalent on other tracks, and the shorter length fits perfectly, 

While all the beats have been, as WILCON said, designed for other artists, he’s able to immerse himself into them and make them his own. This is both a testament to his artistic ear and versatility to fit onto a variety of types of beats. The concept works extraordinarily well, yet I can’t wait to see what is to come as he continues to grow as an artist.

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