Savan De Paul | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Savan DePaul gets symbolic about rebirth and renewal on Brood VIII project
Royersford’s Savan DePaul has just released Brood VIII, his next offering on his journey into conscious rap. Over the course of 22 short tracks, DePaul goes introspective and brings light to the current social climate, throwing in symbols of obscurity, rebirth, and renewal — all of which are referenced in the symbolic album art, a cicada.
DePaul chose his album art carefully. The cicada is an insect that populates Pennsylvania every 17 years for a few glorious weeks, eventually to of molt, mate, and sing before vanishing. This imagery can be seen throughout the project, as DePaul references the rare insect multiple times. On “Exoskeleton,” DePaul compares the cicada’s skin shed to the common health care struggle in America. “Invertebrae” picks up the pace as DePaul and local rappers Wormtooth and The Taste of Vomit rap about the eventual rise of the six-legged insect. “Coyote Teeth” features recent indie-frontman-turned-emo-rapper Sami Rahman, who adds smooth, auto-tuned vocals to the mellow trip-hop beat.
Speaking of production, DePaul produced a majority of the tracks, with many tracks also featuring production from their respective featured artists. DePaul makes sure to contrast and vary each song in length and lyrical content, keeping in mind his overall theme. Brood VIII is a short, yet seemingly long exploration into DePaul’s mind as he reflects on how the world is at the moment. With help from a few friends, DePaul has come together with a solid project, with hopes to rise up like the cicadas he references.
Listen to Brood VIII below. Savan DePaul played an impressive set at yesterday’s Backyard Bxss party in West Philadelphia, and he returns July 20th to play Anthorna Gallery. More information can be found at the artist’s Instagram page.