Scrapyard – Quadeca

Year	Album	Artist	Stars	Score	Genre
2024	Scrapyard	Quadeca	★★★	68	Hip-Hop	Neo-Soul

Scrapyard is my first exposure to Quadeca, a former YouTube rapper and personality who has transitioned from a kind of goofy and humble DIY hip-hop nerd, known for freestyles and mimicking the flows of other emcees, to an artist with a unique style all his own.

It might be an odd entry point; Scrapyard is a mixtape composed of a collection of EPs, one-off singles, and B-side material that didn’t fit on Quadeca’s previous album. It feels like a mixtape because each song works on its own, and there are a few abrupt endings and awkward transitions, similar to the style of The Microphones in the indie world. But it showcases Quadeca’s evolving artistry and unique blend of influences. 

As those past YouTube videos showed, he’s a vocal chameleon able to channel many different techniques and to step in and out of countless genres and styles.  The music is based in hip-hop percussion but features indietronic electronic glitches, emo guitars and various pop builds. The results in a mixtape with elements from different trends in hip-hop over the past eight years or so: emo rap, psychedelic soul, internet-age DIY production, sentimental singing, and hype shouting processed with pitched-up cries.

The mixtape draws comparisons to Frank Ocean’s vulnerability and vocal quality, the psychedelic soul vibes of Yves Tumor, Playboi Carti’s panting and frantic delivery, and Flying Lotus’ bass lines. It features live violins, guitar, and flutes, and the softer songs hint at Brockhampton’s melodic moments. The mixtape’s lyrical content is sentimental and personal, matching the experimental beats and a bedroom aesthetic, especially evident in the more stripped-down moments like “Guide Dog.” The mixes are really muddy at times or incomplete, but beauty and sorrow shine through often.

Some fine tuning is required (and expected out of a mixtape of loosies), and by dipping his toes into so many styles, no one kind of song has a chance to shine or really make a push towards greatness. But, even if I don’t love every moment and think some of it is a bit over dramatic, Scrapyard is worth the listen to admire the flexibility and creativity to the craft that’s on display. Listen through, pick your four or five favorites, and enjoy. For me, the top tracks are the the glitchy “Dustcutter” and “Guess Who,” the upbeat “A La Cart” and the sentimental closer “Texas Blue” featuring Kevin Abstract.