The New York Times today ran a feature exploring the plans for posthumous music from the late emo rapper Lil Peep. The piece digs into the unheard potential of the young musician, who died of a drug overdose last November, hinting that his work was taking a “brighter and more optimistic” turn before his passing. Some of that more positive material, it seems, may end up being released as part of the soundtrack to a forthcoming documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Malick.
It turns out the Thin Red Line director is friends with Lil Peep’s mother’s family, the Womacks, which led to his involvement in the project. Malick won’t direct the doc himself, though he will be serve as its executive producer.
While a parenthetical line near the end of The Times piece is all that mentions the film, there are plenty of other interesting tidbits throughout the story. One section focuses on “Falling Down”, a posthumous collaboration with another deceased Soundcloud star, XXXTentacion, originally recorded as a Lil Peep solo track called “Sunlight on Your Skin”. It turns out XXX’s remake of the track wasn’t exactly sanctioned by anyone involved in the original, which became a point of contention ahead of its release. In fact, members of Lil Peep’s old GothBoiClique collective said Peep often expressed suspicion of XXX stemming from the allegations of domestic abuse and violence against him.
Peep’s mother, Liza Womack, originally wasn’t in favor of releasing the collaboration either. However, after speaking to XXX’s mom, Cleopatra Bernard, they chose to let the track come out as a symbol of their shared grief.
The Times also reveals more details about the forthcoming Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 2 (due November 9th via Autnmy/Access Records in association with Columbia Records). Much of the material on the album was pulled from the same sessions as Pt. 1, Peep’s studio debut. The Times’ Jon Caramancia describes the effort as “a work of elegiac beauty, filled with vitriol, resignation and, in a few moments, hope for change on the horizon.” He also says it finds Peep leaning into a grander pop sound, “a fluid amalgam of hip-hop density and rock anxiety,” providing a glimpse at the artist’s potential had his career had time to flourish.
Read the entire story at The New York Times for more.
