Zel: Still Right Here

"Over freakishly lucid, cybernetic production, Zel pens dope boy anecdotes and takes a scalpel to them, splicing, re-shaping, and overlapping his punch-ins as he fits them in wayward pockets. After years of SoundCloud-only singles, his first solo full-length is immediately up there as one of the most singular rap debuts of the decade so far."

"It's brooding and hypnotic in ways that feel native to the Maryland rapper's music, but its sense of patience makes it stand out: Hi-hats and snares appear in fragmentary bursts, icy synths precipitate and evaporate, and Zel slithers wryly in the cut. It reminds me of LUCKI on "More than Ever" the way he makes a playground out of negative space, leaving acres between his bars so they land like missiles."

"He doesn't really say shit unless it's on wax. Whether it's through DPM, the shadowy avant-rap collective he's helmed with Xang since 2023, or the cabal of deft producers affiliated with it, Zel has churned out cavalier, boots-on-the-ground street rap with zero social media presence."

Zel's Still Right Here is an 18-track debut album that redefines street rap through experimental production and unconventional vocal placement. The standout track "Flrrt / Drink Water" exemplifies his approach with brooding, hypnotic elements featuring sparse hi-hats, icy synths, and strategically placed vocals that land with impact. Zel constructs dope boy narratives with surgical precision, layering and overlapping punch-ins into unconventional spaces. Built through years of SoundCloud releases and collaboration with the avant-rap collective DPM alongside producer Xang, the album reflects Zel's misanthropic ethos and deliberate avoidance of social media presence until now. His cybernetic production and desolate scene-setting establish Still Right Here as one of the most distinctive rap debuts of the decade.

Read at Pitchfork