It’s generally bad form for music writers to dwell too much on an artist’s youth. It either diminishes the artist by implying their music has been critiqued on a curve, or it does just the opposite, overhyping the artist by creating a myth of prodigal talent. But since Milwaukee rapper IshDARR makes a point of calling out his age on his latest track “They Lost Me,” I might as well state the obvious: Holy shit, this kid is only 17. He can’t even vote yet but he’s writing raps like this. Over a jazzy, Native Tongues by way of Top Dawg Entertainment beat from fellow teenager Canis Major, IshDARR crams some seriously dense wordplay into a speeding two minute train of thought. He’s showboating, frankly, yet his flow is so casual and assured that he resists the trap of flaunting technique for technique’s sake. All he’s asking for is two minutes of your time, so he makes every bar count.
IshDARR will release his debut EP The Better Life next month. In the meantime, stream “They Lost Me” below and fish around for stray tracks on his Soundcloud page. They confirm that “They Lost Me” isn’t a fluke—this kid is for real.
