Trent Madison is always ready to “Rage.” The 24-year-old, Detroit-bred rapper is not only making his mark as a new wave voice on the rise, but convincingly asserts he deserves to be heard on his debut EP, Ready 2 Die.
Amid the growing pains of jumpstarting his career, Madison contains a mad amount of talent — evident on his breakout single “Rage,” which currently holds over 34,000 streams on Spotify. The release of his debut EP last week (Oct. 14) signifies Trent’s focus for fans — both new and old — to take him seriously, as Ready 2 Die proves he’s willing to give his life for the grind.
“These songs were my therapy. This is for the overlooked. The doubted. The lost. Through sound, I was able to find myself. I hope this can help kids like me see that you can overcome any obstacle and to never give up.”
Trent Madison via IG
Sounding like a brash hybrid of SoFaygo and Lancey Foux, early highlights like “Riot” and “What Changed” — directed by OGM’s SaintOnSet — showcase Madison’s ability to fit within the pockets of the EP’s blitzing, euphoric soundscape.
The “What Changed” visual depicts Madison in an urban wasteland — striving to find his way as everything around him crumbles in disaster. “What happened to me? / What happened to us? / I don’t know who to trust,” he croons with a love-torn yet defiant energy — stopping new listeners in their tracks to run back his opening hook.
The project feels more grandiose in the latter half, as other cuts in “Mood Swings” and “Numb” take things a step further — accentuating his singing by way of a sugary, auto-laced vocal chain. “Numb’s” addictive melodies enthralls you into another realm — and much like the new wave’s core crew of stars — Madison’s balance between his refined singing and tightly-penned bars is impressive over the course of the EP’s seven tracks. “Can you numb the pain?”, he calls out from the depths of his self-loathing — proving to be his most complete performance on the record.
Each passing track turns up the heat a notch higher — cohesively working in unison to curate Madison’s dreamy, rage-inducing essence. While Ready 2 Die‘s generalized sound is utilized by a slew of underground talent, Madison’s style isn’t a carbon copy of what’s popping in the new wave.
Touting a dizzying mix of electro-rage elements and potent songwriting, it’s apparent that Trent Madison is laying the framework for his future — and he’s Ready 2 Die for it.
Listen to ‘Ready 2 Die’ below!
