Have you listened to « Trinity » , Laylow’s latest album yet? If not, you definitely should. The rapper’s album brilliantly combines music with the digital world, by imagining an emotional simulation software, Trinity. 

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But first let’s get to know the artist.

Now based in Paris, Laylow is a French rapper originally from the suburbs of Toulouse, who plunged into the rap world around the age of twelve through his older brother who introduced him to this art, and with whom he wrote his first few texts. 

After several tracks and music videos realized in common project and collaboration, he starts his solo career in December 2016 with his ten-track album « Mercy ».

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This year’s 28th of February, Laylow’s last droppout kind of made the headlines. 

Named « Trinity » in reference to the Matrix films, this album isn’t a basic musical album. Indeed, the narration present in Trinity through the interludes brings a discernible cinematic side to the album, that affects the brain differently: it transports us into another dimension, temporality.

Through these interludes made by a robotic voice, as in a futuristic video game, the rapper brings us into a futuristic and digital universe: they directly create an addicting red wire, that helps immersing yourself into Laylow’s world. 

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But it actually goes much further: Laylow imagines a world governed by “Trinity”, a software program that directly sends emotions into the brain. 

I’ve noticed is that, throughout the whole album, there is a remarkable ensemble and an irreproachable structural cohesion, an overall harmony.

But all along the 22 tracks, although the album keeps the same musical color, it also explores different emotions and feelings, from violence with Piranha Baby, Vamonos or Akanizer, to sadness with Nakré and Logiciel Triste. 

And I’ve found that this emotional rollercoaster isn’t without significance. 

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Indeed, although Laylow admits being a total fan and supporter of technology, he also mentions his fear of dehumanization, of not being able to feel anything, as if our virtual life had taken over the real one. Thus, by involving feelings of power, anger, sadness, love, or emptiness, Laylow’s aim with this album was reportedly to make us feel again, as according to him, these are what makes us proper human beings. 

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Through this idea of Trinity, an emotional stimulation software, the rapper seems to depict the world we live in, ruled by technology and virtual likes on social media. 

In his song Logiciel Triste, Laylow is sad and melancholic because he is no longer able to feel emotions without the help of the software Trinity. It may seem a little extreme but through this, it pushes us to have a real reflection on our addiction to the virtual. Indeed, some people tend to be addicted to notifications and likes on social media.

As a matter of fact, it is recognized by neuroscientists, that this concept of “likes” completely disrupts our dopamine flow (the happiness hormone). As a consequence, just like Laylow depicts it, it messes with our emotions and could make us feel sad or self-conscious if we don’t get “enough likes”, even though they are entirely artificial and dispensable. 

And because they are drug-like chemical rushes, there is a risk of addiction. 

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By listening to the album, we can say we are ourselves considered as users living a sensorial experience and Laylow is a bit of a digital dealer, who provides our dose of feelings and emotions. 

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Laylow’s interest and fascination for the digital world (influenced by the Matrix movies) inspired this futuristic album, but this whole storytelling which is made clearer in his music videos, also leads to a reflection on our current world and the limits of digital. 

And if this reflection can seem a bit too far-fetched for some people, I think it is a genius one, and I am completely hear for it. 

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With that album « Trinity », Laylow showed how the world of digital and social media both affected himself and his music. It marked a turning-point in his career, offering us a sample of his artistic capacity. 

 

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Célia L.G