Chicago's Xavier & The Thrill will drop his debut album next month, and the first single from the album is special.
"Tears of Legend," which features fellow Chicagoan and No Ceilings alumnus Saba, is a head-turning combination of deeply personal lyrics, tumultuous production, and pure emotion. As he does throughout the upcoming album, Xavier mixes rap with elements of rock and psychedelia, and the resulting sounds are unique and highly memorable.
"I was raised to make things happen, rather than cry about things I didn't like," Xavier tells us. "Everything I heard from the adults in my life was along the lines of 'pull up your britches and go get it done. Period. My father had strokes when I was around nine or ten. He hasn't fully recovered since then, and at an early age I had to sack up and learn a lot on the fly, including supporting my mother."
"It definitely froze me up though, especially when I saw it happen in the hallway as a kid. I wanted 'Tears of Legend' to have that same chilling feeling that I felt that day. But I also wanted to give the record a sense of triumph, because that's what we all need in times of crisis. Be frozen still at first, then make something happen. It's a larger than life story of triumph, hence the hook beginning with, 'Are there sands where tears of legends flow?' If I'm not crying, then where do the tears go?"
Xavier's debut album Thrill drops on September 3. Listen to "Tears Of Legend" below.
