XERO GOD - All Promo

Written by Ryan Cocca

Hip-hop is littered with tracks whose upbeat or groovy production belies a disturbing, or at least more serious, message. “Don’t Do It!” from the new N.E.R.D album comes to mind, as does half the tracklist from A Tribe Called Quest’s most recent album, We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service.

“All Promo,” a song from Asheville-based duo Xero God (a collaborative project of emcee Musashi Xero and producer Panther God) that just got the visual treatment, is another one to add to the list.

Hear it in passing, and the relaxed pace and muted chords sound like something you’d nod your head to in the house on a sunny afternoon, and Xero’s vocals, while dark and coarse, are soothing in their own way. But if you don’t catch the fact that Xero is talking about his own funeral, you might think it’s all good vibes.

The group’s new video, complete with slit throats (among other impressively horrifying makeup work), bleeding mouths and a party full of dead people, is here to help disabuse you of that notion.

If the main goal of Xero God’s new video is to make viewers uneasy and creeped out, mission accomplished. But another, more important purpose, is probably getting attention on Xero God’s dope music. Consider that done as well, now that “All Promo” is on our radar, and yours.