BLXCK CXSPER by Blxck Cxsper

Music rebel and multi-media creative visionary Blxck Cxsper (they/them) is bringing high-concept, elaborate storytelling to speakers, screens, and stages near you. The genre-bending multi-hyphenate’s new album lays out a whole gritty universe of MCU-style epic proportions. In an industry landscape kneecapped by corporate budget and quick sound bites, Cxsper will not compromise their creative vision. They know they have a story worth telling.

A lifelong musician and creative, the non-binary French rapper and producer uses music to bridge cultural differences. “As an artist, if I want to get through to people, I have to be smart,” Blxck Cxsper says, acknowledging how prejudice can stunt growth for queer, trans, and BIPOC musicians. Indie innovation is Blxck Cxsper’s signature; they founded the label Trans Trenderz and created the free beats project Ghostly Beats. Collaborative spirit, entrepreneurial savvy, and DIY grit make them not just a smart artist, but an up-and-coming leader reshaping the industry to be more inclusive, accessible, and authentic. And people are taking notice. In 2021, Blxck Cxsper was named amongst the top 100 most influential music executives in Billboard's Change Agents list and selected as one of CBC's Black Changemakers

Their new multi-media project is another ambitious leap for this change-maker. The album BLXCK CXSPER is self-described as “50 shades of trap,” taking influence from UK drill music, R&B harmonies, and French afrotrap to deliver a worldly, captivating, dark, and danceable sound. They compose an imaginary movie soundtrack for a rich, metaphor-riddled superhero tale set in an alternate universe, which Cxsper uses to explore how established systems and social pressures can push even the brave to darkness.

In Blxck Cxsper’s universe, humans born with superpowers are trained by a powerful organization called The Legacy Foundation. The album tells the story of Kylian, Cxsper’s alter ego, a charming but unprofessional young hero recruited for their powers in manipulating light who earns the moniker The Flare. Mentored by the universe’s golden boy Citadel, Kylian discovers that The Legacy Foundation has a pattern of making certain new recruits disappear – the queer kids, the strange cases, the unmarketable heroes. Their curiosity unnerves Citadel who confronts Kylian, killing their girlfriend Hailey in the process. In the devastation of their loss, The Flare turns to darkness, and from it emerges the anti-hero Blxck Cxsper, a vigilante intent on destroying the system they once served.

This elaborate alternate universe creates a space for Cxsper to explore real themes of racism, systemic violence, and social ostracism. Blxck Cxsper uses the familiar epic tale of an anti-hero’s rise to pose the question: what does a person owe to a world they are trying to change?
Blxck Cxsper’s dark, exhilarating storytelling transcends music. The video for the album’s title track “blxck cxsper” is as slick and gripping as any blockbuster superhero movie, and riddled with QR codes as easter eggs for viewers to access bonus content and explore the universe further. On top of that, Cxsper designed a video game for their upcoming single “bad,” where users can play as Blxck Cxsper, the hero. If that’s not enough, they are also putting on their self-directed and written play, No Justice No Peace at the St-Ambroise Montréal Fringe Festival 2022, exploring the grief and connection of the characters further.

Talent is easy to find, but Blxck Cxsper’s creative ambition makes them a stand-out in the industry. They have synthesized a complex, multi-layer project into a gritty, danceable album backed by an effortlessly engaging and fascinating body of work. Blxck Cxsper is a born entertainer, able to package powerful thematic exploration in a truly exciting performance. It’s the kind of balance that legends are made of.

More than a record label.

@transtrenderz everywhere

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