xaviersobased
October's Artist Spotlight
At just 23, the New York rapper and producer has helped redefine the sound of underground rap. But behind the distorted 808s, internet-born influences, and genre-bending production is an artist whose greatest influence may be the community that helped build him.
In an era where underground rap moves at the speed of the internet, few artists have managed to leave a footprint quite like xaviersobased. Born Xavier Lopez on October 23, 2003, the New York rapper and producer has spent much of his young career pushing the boundaries of what rap can sound like, helping bring a new generation of jerk music into the conversation while building a world that feels distinctly his own. Yet, for an artist whose influence continues to stretch far beyond his immediate circle, his approach to music remains surprisingly grounded in something much simpler: community.
Raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Lopez grew up surrounded by music. His mother was a DJ during the 1980s, while his Dominican heritage and the musical diversity of New York helped shape the sounds that would eventually find their way into his work. His older brother, DJ and producer Nurse, introduced him to skateboarding and artists like Odd Future and A$AP Rocky, opening the door to a culture where music, fashion, and internet subcultures often collided. That curiosity eventually led him down a rabbit hole that would change his trajectory. In 2013, YouTube's algorithm introduced him to Yung Lean's "Hurt," sending him further into the world of internet rap.
By the time he was 12, Lopez had already uploaded his first song to SoundCloud. What began as experimentation gradually became an education in its own right. Teaching himself how to produce, record, and navigate the sprawling online underground, he developed a sound that refused to settle into one lane. Inspired in part by Lil B's "based" philosophy, he adopted the name xaviersobased, embracing a word he associates with effortless swag and positivity.
But perhaps the most important chapter in his development came during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Trading his gaming headset for a recording microphone, Lopez began inviting the same friends he spent hours playing Tony Hawk's Underground Pro with to make music. Those friendships eventually evolved into 1c34, the online collective credited alongside him with helping pioneer a new wave of jerk music. What started as a group of friends making music together became an important part of an underground movement, demonstrating how online communities could develop their own sounds, identities, and cultural influence.
Musically, xaviersobased operates in a world of beautiful contradictions. His production is dissonant, unpredictable, and unmistakably internet-born. Short, manic tracks collide with jagged synth lines, airy piano melodies, and distorted 808s. Samples can come from anywhere: the Mac startup sound, black metal, or background music pulled from online games. His SoundCloud-era releases were particularly experimental, often featuring abrupt tempo changes, unconventional vocal processing, and ideas that seemed more interested in possibility than polish. Tracks like "Crisp Dubs" and "Adore" capture that willingness to push a sound beyond its expected limits.
While his influences are largely rooted in the internet, his music is often deeply personal. He has credited the diversity of New York and the experiences surrounding him with helping shape his identity as an artist. Memories, friendships, and everyday moments frequently find their way into his songs, giving an otherwise chaotic sound a sense of familiarity. Even his relationship with jerk music reflects his instinct to approach things from a different direction. Although he is credited with helping popularize its modern revival, he has acknowledged that he wasn't particularly familiar with the original late-2000s West Coast movement. Instead, his percussion choices drew more heavily from Milwaukee's lowend party rap scene. The result is a sound that carries the spirit of an older movement without simply recreating it.
That willingness to create without being confined by expectations has made him one of the more influential figures in the underground. His 2022 track "Patchmade" helped expand his audience, while the 2024 mixtape Keep It Goin Xav further established his presence. Signing with Atlantic Records in 2025 and releasing the EP Once More marked another step forward, followed by his self-titled debut album, Xavier, on January 30, 2026. Despite the growing recognition, his music has retained the experimental instincts that first attracted listeners to his SoundCloud catalog.
Musically, xaviersobased operates in a world of beautiful contradictions. His production is dissonant, unpredictable, and unmistakably internet-born. Short, manic tracks collide with jagged synth lines, airy piano melodies, and distorted 808s. Samples can come from anywhere: the Mac startup sound, black metal, or background music pulled from online games. His SoundCloud-era releases were particularly experimental, often featuring abrupt tempo changes, unconventional vocal processing, and ideas that seemed more interested in possibility than polish. Tracks like "Crisp Dubs" and "Adore" capture that willingness to push a sound beyond its expected limits.
While his influences are largely rooted in the internet, his music is often deeply personal. He has credited the diversity of New York and the experiences surrounding him with helping shape his identity as an artist. Memories, friendships, and everyday moments frequently find their way into his songs, giving an otherwise chaotic sound a sense of familiarity. Even his relationship with jerk music reflects his instinct to approach things from a different direction. Although he is credited with helping popularize its modern revival, he has acknowledged that he wasn't particularly familiar with the original late-2000s West Coast movement. Instead, his percussion choices drew more heavily from Milwaukee's lowend party rap scene. The result is a sound that carries the spirit of an older movement without simply recreating it.
That willingness to create without being confined by expectations has made him one of the more influential figures in the underground. His 2022 track "Patchmade" helped expand his audience, while the 2024 mixtape Keep It Goin Xav further established his presence. Signing with Atlantic Records in 2025 and releasing the EP Once More marked another step forward, followed by his self-titled debut album, Xavier, on January 30, 2026. Despite the growing recognition, his music has retained the experimental instincts that first attracted listeners to his SoundCloud catalog.
Words by Ana Oquendo
Photographed by Steven Esperanza