Respecta.is - The Ultimate Hip Hop Portal

An album about courting death through self-destructive behavior, "Death Doesn't Want You" approaches the party lifestyle from several angles, with songs celebrating debauchery giving way to ones addressing the emotional toll of hard living. Esh the Monolith, the vocal piece of the two-headed werewolf, wrote much of the project during a self-described unstable period. That phase birthed the concept of the record: if his lifestyle couldn't kill him, it was clear that death didn't want him.

Musically, the album draws on a wide array of influences, feeding elements of punk, surf, '50s-style pop, drum & bass and dance hall into a hip hop format. Produced as a collaborative effort and utilizing mostly live instrumentation, "Death Doesn't Want You" features musical contributions from members of bands such as Radclyffe Hall, Boogie Boy Metal Mouth, Bad Rabbits and Tigerman Woah!, as well as guest verses from veteran wordsmiths Slaine and Reks.

Friends since a chance meeting on their first day of college, the duo first officially paired up for 2013's "Nightworks" EP. Each brings a rich musical background to the collaboration: Esh's previous work earned him a spot on XXL's 15 Boston Rappers You Should Know, while The Arcitype has gained notoriety both as a producer for various rap heavyweights including Vinnie Paz and La Coka Nostra, and as co-owner of the Cambridge-based recording studio, The Bridge Sound and Stage.