Need an escape? Edward Skeletrix provides many avenues.
The Florida-born, Atlanta-based rapper, producer and visual artist is an experimentalist at heart—his Instagram bio lists himself as a “magician” other than anything else.
His euphoric, dark-trap soundscape and willingness to push sonic boundaries as a producer (under previous aliases in “cight,” “shieldLess” and “syckli”) are hauntingly beautiful—capturing the attention of names like Night Lovell and XXXTENTACION (“elegant“) during the height of SoundCloud era.
Despite working with X, Skeletrix’s real breakthrough occurred in 2019, where he began the “Edward Skeletrix” project by creating strange and often disturbing AI images and videos backed by rage-inspired sounds. These videos later served as snippets of his own music, and were constantly posted on Edward’s now-deleted TikTok account. They acted as pseudo art pieces, which accumulated a cult fan base over time and laid the foundation for Edward’s current endeavors.
With the release of his debut single, “Skeletrix Magic,” in May 2023, it was clear Edward Skeletrix shifted his focus (and the culture altogether), dropping his first album under the moniker, Skeletrix Language, in December 2023. A stream of oft-released, experimental singles, and work with fellow up-and-comers like Brennan Jones in 2024 would lead to his greatest project yet: A double album entitled Museum Music and I’m A Monster, released on New Year’s Day (2025)…
With Edward Skeletrix, everything is a moment (text +1 667-222-5469 to see why). Read more on his ethos and Museum Music below.
Edward Skeletrix serves up a lesson in media literacy
Analysis and writing by: @vvrrva
Known for his viral TikToks and provocative visuals, Edward Skeletrix has carved out a niche as an experimental hip-hop artist. On Museum Music, he peels back the layers of an industry steeped in spectacle, consumerism, and exploitation. This two-part, 30-track debut challenges hip-hop’s evolution while daring listeners to rethink the very culture they consume.
What happened to hip hop?
At its core, Museum Music raises sharp questions: How did a genre rooted in rebellion lose its way to shallow aesthetics and empty materialism? Why do audiences keep rewarding the industry’s exploitative formulas? Skeletrix doesn’t preach; he sets the stage for you to figure it out.
Take “Blue,” where he delivers brutal commentary on beauty standards: “Are you an OnlyFans bitch? Don’t you wanna be like Ari? Buy some titties for your chest.” Tracks like “Sunny Days in the A” pair breezy production with existential musings: “Enjoy your life, this shit for play.” And “Life Could Go By Quick” critiques materialism as modern worship, declaring: “Pray to my CashApp, and my Hellcat.”
A rollout designed to provoke
Skeletrix didn’t just release this album; he made it an event. The rollout began with the chaotic “Congratulations” teaser, a two-minute meditation on societal collapse punctuated by Honda CRV product placement. Then came the one-day NYC exhibit, where visitors encountered laser-etched iPods, an eerie canvas titled Hubert, and Skeletrix himself, motionless inside a glass box.
The exhibit pushed boundaries. Some attendees lit small fires in the box, poured water on Skeletrix, and even poked him with golf clubs. A protestor spray-painted “PETA” on Hubert before demanding to be caged alongside Skeletrix. The exhibitors obliged, placing her in a glass box beside him. Audience reactions ranged from recording and snapping photos for social media to laughter and apathy, perfectly reflecting the album’s critique of passivity and shallow engagement.
Skeletrix presenting himself and even the protestor as a literal piece of art forces viewers to question their complicity in turning creativity into consumable spectacle. It’s a sobering commentary on how art and chaos alike are easily commodified.
Challenging shallow engagement
Museum Music lands at a time when media literacy is in short supply. In a world of endless scrolling and blurred lines between reality and performance, Skeletrix compels his audience to slow down and think critically. Tracks that initially seem like bangers unfold into scathing critiques of overconsumption and the industry’s toxic cycles.
Imagine a DJ playing “Blue” at a party while everyone dances, oblivious to its deeper meaning. That’s precisely the trap Skeletrix lays bare: a culture built on consuming without questioning.
Beyond the surface
Instead of simply glorifying chaos like his contemporaries, Skeletrix holds up a mirror to hip-hop’s flaws. He’s not here just to entertain; he’s here to make you think about why you’re entertained. Museum Music isn’t solely meant to be experienced as an album; it’s a broader call to break free from passive consumption. Skeletrix challenges hip-hop fans to engage deeply with the art they encounter. The question is: Are you ready to face what’s staring back?
Listen to Museum Music below!