Lil Tracy, Fish Narc, Hi-C [outside]

Extrapolating purely from the genre’s name, “cloud rap” would seem to promise lethargic MC’ing and hazy, indistinct beatmaking. Indeed, spend a day trolling through early 2010s SoundCloud – you’ll hear a lotta that. But that was before the style got a crucial injection of emo passion in the form of GothBoiClique, the L.A. collective that counts fish narc and Lil Tracy as members. (Maybe you saw their showcase at Oblivion Access 2023?) Further proof that lo-fi need not be synonymous with lo-feeling: the manic, Bitcrushed id of opener Hi-C (also in town earlier this year as well for This Is Austin, Not That Great). – Julian Towers