Review: Avelino Ascends With The Arrival of ‘Ego Kills’

A master of melodies; a rap magician. Avelino – AV da GOAT – came to show us that he’s both of those things with the arrival of Ego Kills,  from the provocative choice of album art, down to the beat selection and team of producers he’s collaborated with on the project.

This mixtape has an evolved, Alternative touch when it comes to evaluating the standard of sonic qualities that characterise it; starting off with the smooth instrumental dominating the introductory track, Demons, before progressing onto the beautifully chaotic, 100K. Besides the wound-up, hard-hitting works at the forefront of the tape, there’s also the incorporation of Afro-fused songs that include Control (produced by Jason Julian and DJ R-LO) featuring Yungen and Not3s,  and Easy featuring Krept; where listeners will notice a more relaxed side to AV’s ego, as he reveals a softer, lover-boy essence. 

Prey sees the artist presenting himself in an introspective light with the delivery of emotive lyrics to the hybridised Real-rap, Trap-esque audio that is intertwined with a psychedelic rock guitar, courtesy of Paul Gurney doing what he needed to on the strings, and Kyle Evans, with mastering the production. Right 2 Left has an upbeat, optimistic bounce and a sweet melodic blend, but the story being told would suggest otherwise, as Avelino gracefully details a romance gone wrong – but what’s even more graceful is the transition from this track, into Audacious that heavily blends electronic-based elements with his artistry, in a way that is seamless. 

Gorillas is the epitome of UK Drill being done differently, and bringing in South London’s SL on the 169 produced, Waze, demonstrated how two opposite sides of the LDN can elegantly merge their individual styles, for the creation of a crud-like collaboration.

The On A Roll Rap champ doesn’t fail to deliver a subtle flex on the futuristic sounds that flow throughout EGO KILLS, and his ability to sprinkle in compositions that deviate from the rest really highlights just how well he can do it all.