The murder of XXXTENTACION rocked the Hip Hop community, especially those who collaborated with him.
“I hoped from the bottom of my heart that shit was a hoax,” producer Jimmy Duval told HipHopDX.
Duval — alongside collaborator Rojas — produced X’s breakout single, the platinum-selling “Look At Me!”
“He’s such a strong motherfucker … his willpower was crazy,” Duval said. “So, I couldn’t believe that shit was real. I was hearing from people before it was on the news and then 15 minutes later, that was it. It shell-shocked me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQwbaXMVslM
Although the last week has involved a lot of sadness, Duval has many fond memories of working with X.
“What made him so incredible is that he didn’t want to do the same thing twice,” he explained. “He always liked to be doing something new, something you’re not doing. Every other artist comes in and asks to make something [that sounds] like something else … he’s like, I want to do something we’ve never heard before.”
He continued, “We were just starting to work on new music for his project. He didn’t even want anything like ‘Look At Me!’ He was like, ‘We already did that, so what’s the next thing?’ I always respected him so much for having that creative outlook with so many people trying to copy … he was always trying to break ground.”
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For Duval, working with X was truly a life-changing experience.
“He changed everything,” Duval explained. “He changed everybody’s lives, and he was such a pioneer, such a leader. I’ve never experienced this in my life, from an artist that I had so much success with … I’ve just been trying to talk to other young cats and producers to explain that it’s just about carrying the torch at this point.”
When discussing the way in which X died, Duval noted his collaborator’s desire to be on his own played a factor in his death.
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“It’s kind of the sad part I felt … he loved that freedom and liked to have nobody following him, blah blah blah,” the producer said. “He didn’t invest [in security]. It’s part of the reason this happened. I respect him for that, but damn, it’s so crazy. I’m careful. You have to be as a celebrity these days.”
While Duval is among the many mourning the loss of X, others have harsher views on the slain artist. X was a controversial figure, most notably for his unsettled domestic abuse case. Tales of his alleged abuse painted a grim picture of the late rapper, but Duval described X as someone changing his ways.
“He didn’t even make it to trial yet,” he remarked. “So, we didn’t even get a chance to see who is telling the truth. You feel me? So I’m not going to comment on that, but ever since that [situation] happened, and the accusations were made, he’s been doing charity events and taking the time out of his life to talk to people, and to go change people’s lives. Ultimately, [he was] changing himself as a person.”
Duval added, “I’ve never seen someone change themselves so much in a year. The media wasn’t giving him the love on that positive light, but it was happening. He was really on some positive shit. He was working with the young cats around him, out there checking everyone, getting their heads’ right.”
Going forward, Duval and X’s other collaborators are left to carry the musical torch in his absence. It’s not something the producer ever hoped he’d need to do, but it’s a duty he intends to fulfill.
“It’s just a major loss,” he said. “We all had so much great shit still to do, and we still got to do that. Unfortunately, as much as it breaks my heart, it’s just not going to be with him. Now, it’s just about making great music. Constantly changing the ground that we stand on as a culture.”
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I’m with Tupac in Cuba chill bruh
Yo, ey man, whats good, whats good, harlem where y’all at.
We would never survive in Cuba because of the embargo. We need that McDonald’s, that Starbucks etc.
See you at Ralph Castro’s next speech fuck the BET awards
Nah, they reserved a very special area of land, just for us, you know what I’m sayin’? So we can enjoy all the things we liked back in the states, so it’s all good. You’ll be thinking it was all a dream at first, but it’s not. But I can’t share no more info for y’all or the DEA. When you get that call, you’ll see this special place for yourself. Baby baby!
He’s right… music will never be the same… people will be awarded for making music without song structure! Greeeeaaaaaattt!!!!
Making something unstructured isn’t necessarily bad. The problem with X is he wasn’t a good enough song writer to do anything really creative with his sound. It was all just music you could vibe to with no depth at all. It’s a shame cause I feel like he had the germ of a good idea but not enough to really grow the culture.
Fuck this racist pie of shit
https://youtu.be/Knylc1G7Brk?t=2m11s
This week Matt reacts to the Addam22 XXtentacion No Jumper Riot for the Clout. XXtentacion was shot, killed and murdered over a Louis Vuitton bag filled with 50k. The Instagram Hip Hop rapping sensation Instagamed out his location and the people who actually murder rob and steal, not just the ones who pretend to murder rob and still on the Gram for the Clout, Killed him. Matt of Unbleachd has a Theory that Xxtentacion was the type of guy who got himself clipped for the clout. Unbleachd also points out how Addam22’s no jumper Rip Xxtentacion Memorial Riot was done JUST FOR THE CLOUT. Who is Addam22? He is a white kid from the suburbs who is this generations “Joe Rogan of Hip hop” who wifed up an Instagram THOT like Lena the plug(also known as Lena the Slug to the Ice Poseidon Mob). Unbleachd reacts to the Corney Cringe filled out pouring of sad emotions from lil xan’s fans. The Police of Los Angeles had to be called in to quell the insane mob as they sang Xxtentacion songs and no jumper ed off of buildings on Fairfax Avenue in LA in what may be one of the biggest fan fails of 2018 that was Vlog by pretty much everyone in attended, so much clout chaser so little time. Xxtentacion dead is dead so long rip x. Death by Clout.
So your white as fuck and condone a little white boy being sacrificed on camera? I hope someone ties you up behind a bumper someday and shows you how it really was back then shit stain
Just to clear one thing up. Rojas, was never the producer of “Look At Me”. Rojas is not a producer of anything. He found the song to sample and had it cut by a friend. Went to Jimmy Duval to take the cut of the sample and make the beat. After this, the beat was made and recorded without him present. He legally copy wrote the instrumental and song master, after gaining the rights to the sample legally by the copy write holders in the UK. He then took it, and now owning this solely by himself, put in on soundcloud monetizing the track entirely in his name. Meaning he took 100% credit of a song he had nothing creatively to do with. Well, let’s give him credit for picking a hit sample. Jimmy later sued and won. Rojas sold all of his rights to Warner in 2017. Excluding only soundcloud of all digital platforms. Also when Jah found this out, he was not very happy. He went to his parents house in Broward and had him join him outside for some “words”. In closing this is the entire truth behind this Rojas character. He has pulled one of the shadiest moves in the public eye, and got his name because of it. He is only known for this, as he’s not done one other thing in music worth speaking about.