Mathew Larsen, a.k.a. Eyedea, passed away far too soon, leaving behind a catalog that is without question one of the most under-appreciated. While most have probably heard an Eyedea penned verse before, not many realize just how important he was for not only underground rap but hip-hop culture as a whole. A guy who defied norms and knew no bounds – not racially, socially or geographically. He could set a room ablaze with his energy alone.
As an artist Eyedea set up camp on the razor’s edge, and the lyrics he found there would eventually come to define his career. He pulled from a dark abyss that the average lyricist would be too self-conscious to approach, writing in ways that dismantled preconceived notions as to where you could find inspiration and insight.
On his debut album First Born (under the Rhymesayers imprint) we get a full view of his horizon. “The Dive (Part 2)” being a prime example of how fearlessly he pursued liberation: [LISTEN]
Eyedea wrestles with mortality all throughout the album, which was a rare thing for rap at the time. Here was this brash kid from Minnesota rocking battles and talking about life and death. It was a macabre style that drew an immediate fanbase.
For ten years he’d go on to release several albums with each one exploring a different side of his psyche – from his alter ego Oliver Hart to his freewheeling ways with Face Candy. On By The Throat (his last studio album with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Abilities) he embraces a totally different sound, one rooted heavily in rock. For his rap fanbase it was a new feel, but Eyedea had always experimented with different styles, taking part in a number of non hip-hop related collaborations, so the transition – for him at least – was seamless. And it showed.
He sounds at ease and is not rattled or rushed at all in this environment. In fact it seems like he’s more comfortable there than in traditional hip-hop. What’s consistent and what makes Eyedea so great is that he approached each project, no matter how stylistically different with the same zeal as he did on his debut – as if each song was an opportunity to explore a new emotion.
“Burn Fetish” is a solid example of how unafraid Eyedea was. How he never held back or relented for the sake of popularity, an example of how all lyricists should conduct their affairs: [LISTEN]
