By all accounts, 2020 has been a year filled with challenge, strife and its fair share of tragedy. Against the backdrop of a worldwide pandemic, it has also been a year where many societal issues have bubbled to the surface. Among these is the Black Lives Matter movement. In the United States, citizens have watched this movement play out in the media, from election pulpits and in the streets, but it is also being portrayed in more creative ways right here at 小蓝视频.
For Eveul Exil Jr., a 小蓝视频 music business major, music offers a cathartic outlet to express his views. Exil, who goes by 鈥淓vo the EX-I,鈥� created a single called 鈥淩unaway Slave鈥� last summer and released it in February of this year on 鈥淒oom is A Mood,鈥� his second EP. The music video for the song was filmed in his hometown of Miami, Fla., and debuted online this year. Over a warm jazz piano and the crackle of a vintage vinyl record, Exil describes the ongoing struggles of the Black community, as seen through his eyes.
The freestyle but the style is for sale
Pay your fees, you鈥檙e in debt
Got us trapped in a cell
A debt trap messing with my vibe
I鈥檓 not in the mood to deal with fools time wasted
My people facing school to prison pipelines scrolling through my timeline
Exil says this excerpt represents the parallel between rap culture and society in general. 鈥淗ip hop is filled with unique flows and sounds which we gravitate to, but those styles have been inspired and influenced by previous music/artists. The 鈥榖ut the style is for sale, pay your fees鈥� line is basically me paying homage and dues to those who influenced my sound and rap ability. As for society, that line points out that we attempt to live life the way we want and express our individuality but still depend on society in some way, whether seeking validation through social media, working jobs we don鈥檛 like just to earn money, or going to school in order to feel accepted by society. We鈥檙e all guilty of it, and 鈥榩aying our fees鈥� is us paying our dues with our time and money as our consequence.鈥�
Eveul Exil Jr., also known as musical artist 鈥淓vo the EX-I.鈥�
With every verse, Exil is cultivating a craft that allows him to turn hard times into art. He describes his music as a 鈥渕editative, nostalgic rendition of 90鈥檚 hip hop with a lo-fi feel.鈥� Just like many other artists before him, he has taken global unrest and turned it into music that resonates with people and provides an alternative to the civil unrest.
Priding himself on producing content that spreads awareness and tells a story, Exil began playing music at 13 as a drummer in his church. A year later, he picked up poetry and rapping. His talent and potential has been recognized by his peers and teachers alike.
Mark Snyder, assistant professor of the JU music business and production program, had nothing but good things to say about Exil鈥檚 work. 鈥淎s a student, he is always positive toward the material we鈥檙e learning and also toward his classmates,鈥� Snyder said. 鈥淗e is even positive when things go wrong, which in tech can happen.鈥�
Exil鈥檚 influences include Kendrick Lamar and MF Doom, and he attributes his Haitian background to his love for music. He鈥檚 done everything from talent shows to open mic nights and poetry competitions, recalling how different the experiences have been over the years.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e doing those types of things, you鈥檙e in a different environment with different audiences. Sometimes you get older crowds. Sometimes you get people your age, so it鈥檚 a different feel. And it鈥檚 amazing to be able to tell my story through my music and have people relate to it.鈥�
With every song, Exil鈥檚 artistry is a testament to how creative endeavors can be used to express feelings and issues that reflect current events. His work offers a different picture of the Black Lives Matter movement, one that goes beyond the streets to the heart and soul of a young artist who is shining a light on social injustice in his own musical way.
Experience Exil鈥檚 work first-hand on all music streaming platforms under the name 鈥淓vo the EX-I.鈥� His most recent single and accompanying music video can also be viewed on .
