YUNG MAS, a Vancouver-based Greek-Colombian Canadian recording artist, producer, and creative director, has built his sound around the more experimental corners of hip-hop. Trap, drill, melodic rap, ambient textures, hyper grunge, and GXPCORE all find their way into his music, often in unexpected combinations. His approach extends well beyond recording vocals. Working independently, he handles much of the songwriting, vocal experimentation, engineering, immersive mixing, visual effects, and graphic design himself, giving his releases a closely connected sound and visual identity.
Following the hypnotic intensity of “#GXP,” he returns with its second volume, the 13-track “The GXP Files.” The project pushes further into woozy, psychedelic trap, where hazy, sample-driven instrumentals meet booming 808s, sharp percussion, grunge influences, and unsettling melodic details. There is an almost surreal quality to the way these sounds settle around one another.
Each track begins with the same digitally processed female voice: “Stand clear. Check for pulse. Analyzing now.” Delivered with clinical detachment, the phrase feels like a system running a diagnostic before opening the door to another strange environment. It gives the project a cinematic, futuristic thread, even as the music moves between different moods.
Much of the production draws from the online underground rap scene, with atmosphere taking precedence over conventional song structures. The arrangements are sparse and often deliberately rough around the edges. Dark synth pads repeat, ambient melodies drift in and out, and skeletal 808 basslines hold everything together. That lack of mainstream gloss suits the music. YUNG MAS approaches his vocals with a similarly understated touch, slipping into spontaneous, conversational phrases, subdued melodies, and a deadpan delivery that becomes part of the surrounding haze.
Track #5, “604 (V2),” stayed with me for precisely that reason. Its blend of psychedelic hip-hop and trap feels built for a late-night listen, when the bass seems especially heavy and everything else starts to blur. The beat is spacious, dark, and woozy, with relatively few elements competing for attention. Those gaps allow his voice to sit deep inside the instrumental, almost as another layer of sound.
His performance is relaxed and slightly detached, shaped by monotone melodic phrases and rhythmic repetition. The emphasis moves away from intricate wordplay or technical showmanship. Pitch manipulation, ad-libs, small changes in inflection, and shifts in cadence give the track its character. The appeal lies in the tension between its drifting, dreamlike atmosphere and the weight of the drums. It feels laid-back without losing its physical impact.
There is a different energy on “41, 42 3style (GXP ANTHEM V2).” YUNG MAS moves between rapping, sing-rapping, and chanting, returning to a repetitive hook that quickly becomes the song’s center of gravity. A pulsing electronic beat gives it a pop-leaning cadence within its hip-hop framework. The result is catchy, direct, and well suited to a party.
“819am 3style (GXP ANTHEM V2)” heads further toward the dancefloor, using funky electro-fusion and an experimental trap melody to keep the momentum moving. “murda dance (V2)” shares that restless groove, though its deep 808s and heavily processed vocals create a more otherworldly atmosphere. There is an instinctive, loose-limbed energy running through these tracks, the sort that makes standing still feel unlikely.
The opener, “price of admission (V2),” offers a useful introduction to the project’s nocturnal world. Its electro-grunge buildup gives way to a trap drop, while YUNG MAS’ alluring delivery suggests the enclosed, almost VIP atmosphere that runs throughout the record. The track feels like an invitation into a space with its own rules and aesthetic, setting up the disorienting journey that follows.
Across its 13 tracks, “The GXP Files” reflects a particular strain of 2020s internet rap culture: moody, self-produced, independent, and comfortably outside the mainstream. Its strongest moments come when YUNG MAS trusts texture, rhythm, and atmosphere to carry the experience.
| INSTAGRAM |
