Ben Lasky got his start on YouTube nearly 10 years ago at this point. From freestyles, mixtapes and just anything rap related, Lasky, known by his stage name Quadeca, has maintained a steady, dedicated following up till present day.
Around 2018, Quadeca made an even bigger splash with his viral diss tracks, taking shots at other notorious YouTube rappers like KSI. Since 2021, Quadeca has been experimenting more and more with his sound and moving further away from hip-hop altogether. His track “Sisyphus” was the first notable shift toward a more electronic, rock and folk direction. In 2022, Quadeca released “I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You,” a fully-fledged folktronica concept album that garnered praise from fans and critics alike. Many wondered how he could follow up such a grand, artistic achievement.
Well, I’d say he remained unpredictable.
In October of last year, Quadeca announced he’d be releasing small EPs over the next few weeks or so called the “Scrapyard” series. These releases would be comprised of 2-3 tracks that were either leftovers from the “Haunt You” sessions or just singular ideas that wouldn’t fit on any future project. So, B-sides more or less? I guess you could call them that on the surface yes, but to say these songs are just afterthoughts is far from the truth.
The full 15-track project was released February 16th, and I can’t get enough of it. Singles like “A La Carte,” “Guess Who?” and my personal favorite “Easier” fit perfectly in with the rest of the tracklist and new songs like “Pretty Privilege,” “What’s It to Him?” and the nonchalant banger “Way Too Many Friends” are all unique but welcoming additions to the series’ aesthetic. Though, tracks “U Tried That Thing Where Ur Human,” “Guide Dog” and “Texas Blue” are all truly breathtaking and steal the show. All coming near the end of the project, each song is poignant, unique and mystical in their own way. “Human” acts as this slow-burning, anxious ballad of self-loathing while “Guide Dog” is an acoustic, amateurish powerhouse of dependency and need. “Texas Blue” closes things out on a more optimistic note thankfully. Featuring vocals from Brockhampton’s own Kevin Abstract, the two complement each other quite well on this uplifting, piano-centric send-off.
“Scrapyard,” while being a loose mixtape, sees Quadeca experimenting more than he ever has before while still managing to keep your attention through all 15 cohesive tracks. Sure, some songs I’m not as in love with as others and some still might seem a bit more like ideas rather than fully realized cuts, but the amount of quality on here is easily second to none. I can’t wait to see what curveball Lasky throws at us next.
My rating: 8.2/10
