Reemo: Kyriemo Irving

"In recent years, Philly drill rappers have turned the genre's complicated brutality into theatrical horrorcore heavy on hoops analogies and religious symbolism. The most famous of the bunch is Skrilla, who merged the evil-ass choir-drill beats-popularized by local guys like Ot7Quanny and Lil Buckss-with darkly spiritual (and, yes, memeable) lyricism and exploitative world-building."

"With West Philly's Reemo, the weight of his words are never an afterthought. In comparison to all of the costume rappers lurking in the city's shadows, he is the contemplative traditionalist, light on gimmicks. Reemo's new mixtape, Kyriemo Irving-which includes sick illustrated cover art that features him going for a finger roll at a playground in hell, while an opponent points a gun in the air like Wood Harris at the end of Above the Rim-is full of hungry day-in-the-life raps and meditations on fate from the school of Meek and G Herbo."

"He's thinking about the human emotions that a lot of modern drill skips in favor of menace. And them funerals when you know you got to get back for the dead, that's a horrible feeling, he raps on the jazzy OverKill, with the worn-down voice of someone recovering from a bad cold."

Philadelphia has developed a distinctive drill scene characterized by theatrical brutality and dark spiritual imagery. Artists like Skrilla, HappyDranker, and Tovi employ elaborate costumes and mythmaking in their music. Reemo stands apart as a traditionalist who prioritizes substance over gimmicks. His mixtape Kyriemo Irving features introspective day-in-the-life narratives and meditations on fate, drawing influence from Meek Mill and G Herbo's storytelling approach. Rather than pursuing pure menace, Reemo explores human emotions and the psychological weight of street life, including the trauma of attending funerals. He maintains connection to contemporary Philly drill's blunted flows and drama while centering emotional depth in his lyricism.

Read at Pitchfork