It’s no secret that the zeitgeist of hip-hop these days leans toward music that’s fun, if nothing else – typically to the chagrin of old heads and “real rap” fans everywhere. There’s almost an implied choice we’re supposedly obligated to make: listen to rap that bangs, or listen to rap with substance.

With his hallucinogenic new video for “Fear”, Orrin is bridging that gap. Aesthetically, it feels like a hard-hitting banger in the realm of SoundCloud rap, but the obvious intentionality behind the melodies, lyrics, and visuals here adds a great sense of originality and artistry to the track. His Warren Wolfe-produced single, “Fear,” is an abstract invitation into Orrin’s insecurities and imagination, as much as it is an opportunity to nod your head and bounce in your seat. Watch the Laneya Billingsley-edited video below.

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Recently, we introduced you to the work of Orrin who was questionning the concept of masculinity in hip-hop with his track “Switch“. The artist has just unveiled a brand new video for the Warren Wolfe-produced single “System Control”. It was secretly shot in an iconic museum and besides some comical situations, like this photobombed apparence at the entrance of the cultural institution, the video is actually a way to protest against their recent change in pricing policy. From now, people can’t freely access the museum anymore and will have to prove their identity. As a consequence, undocumented persons won’t be able to enter anymore. Drawing a bit of a parallel with the historic past of racial exclusion from the arts and culture in the US, the artist addresses here something much deeper than it first looks. Culture, arts and education, are efficient integration tools so how to approve these new rules? Based on a local story, Orrin raises an essential issue with a universal scope.

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In his latest video “Switch”, the up and coming artist Orrin knows how to use irony. Of course, the artist is not rich like some of his male rapper fellas, but he is still playing with the bling-bling imagery of hip-hop. Can you pay yourself a real mansion? Then why not using a Barbie’s castle instead? Orrin also plays here with the acceptable attitude that a ‘casual male rapper’ should have in order to tackle the toxic and one-way representation of masculinity in hip-hop. It is actually quite funny to check the Youtube comments on his video as people are not used to seeing these codes being called into question.

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As the artist detailed on Office Magazine, where the video was premiered:

[su_quote]The track is about people changing on me, and instead of confrontation, I put those emotions into a track where I can tell my side of the story… “Switch” is braggadocious, and while I do not have loads of money, it was cool to act like a baller for a second and flex in a Porsche.[/su_quote]

Follow Orrin over Twitter and Instagram.