11.26.2021

Album: BONES & Lyson – Scraps

The Prolific Michigan Native Connects with his TeamSESH Signee Lyson to Craft a Percolating and Diverse Collection of Songs

Critical Praise:

“The Michigan-born rapper was one of the earliest and most influential artists to rise through the SoundCloud ranks in the early 2010s thanks to a truly unique aesthetic, an aura of mystery and a sound that would go on to be mimicked by his genre for years to come.” – HYPEBEAST

‘Already one of the most influential artists in rap and the SoundCloud underground, Bones shows no signs of slowing down.” – HYPEBEAST

“O’Connor’s short tracks, creepy videos, and one-word tweets rack up millions of social media interactions from a cult following that helped him sell out shows in 25 cities on a recent tour. The hip-hop elite is taking notice.” – The FADER

“Elmo Kennedy O’Connor was in pre-school when he became obsessed with the Southern artists of No Limit and Cash Money. Later in life, he would adopt the rap moniker Bones and amass a significant cult following. His gothic lyrical style, allergy to songs longer than two and a half minutes, and lo-fi visual aesthetic have convinced a quarter million people to subscribe to the SoundCloud page of his rap collective, TeamSESH.” – HotNewHipHop

The Album:

His mind bursting with more ideas than he can count, underground hero BONES never stops working–he accomplishes in one year what many artists achieve in their entire careers. Coming through with his fifth full-length album of 2021, BONES shares Scraps, a 17-track new collection of songs. Created in collaboration with Lyson, a producer signed to BONES’s TeamSESH label who connected with the artist in 2020 for the fan-beloved Remains project, Scraps finds the Michigan native in his rap bag, unleashing triplet rhymes with ease before slipping into softly-sung choruses that hammer his points home. Lyson’s production is intricate and lush–he’s a master of arpeggios, twirling delicate melodies whether he’s using a mournful piano, a vibrant guitar, or a vintage synthesizer.

On songs like “MaryTylerMoore,” BONES taps into the nostalgic vibe, channeling emo vocalists for a hopeful and heartfelt paean: “We’re gonna make it after all.” That tender ballad segues seamlessly into the pitch black “DeadEnd,” which harkens back to BONES’ love for Memphis trap. Though stylistic leaps like those might cause whiplash in less-skilled hands, BONES and Lyson’s high level of craftmanship and sparkling chemistry makes each genre exercise feel natural. The immediate follow-up to ForbiddenImage, a collaborative album with TeamSESH’s cat soup, Scraps is available everywhere via TeamSESH/EMPIRE.

Scraps continues a remarkably busy year for BONES, marked by five full-lengths and more possibly on the way. October’s ForbiddenImage immediately followed July’s InLovingMemory, a dark and personal album that featured the recent single “WhiteBoyRick.” In March, BONES released PushingUpDaisies, a full-length collaborative album produced by TeamSESH producer Deergod. Featuring the single “PopRocks,” which earned praise from Stereogum, the album thrives on the impeccable chemistry between producer and rapper. Earlier this year, BONES shared his BURDEN album and released albums recorded under the moniker surrenderdorothy onto DSPs for the first time ever.

Despite its title, Scraps is no throwaway–each song builds a carefully considered sonic world that listeners can dive into for minutes at a time. Don’t be surprised if BONES returns with yet another album in the coming weeks.

Buy/Stream Scraps: https://music.empi.re/scraps

Check out BONES in Interview Magazine: https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/bones-gives-a-rare-interview-about-love-identity-and-fatherhood

Scraps Tracklist:

CousinEddie
Topaz
SweetTooth
SalamanderSandals
Driveway
MaryTylerMoore
DeadEnd
Ballerina
Quebec
Call Waiting
Tonic
DeadMansParadise
WeCanGetGum
SmokingLongDoors
TurnTheAirOn,ItsHotAsHell
CannonBall
BackToBedBungo

Please contact Michelle or Kerry for more info.

The Background:

BONES has proven to be one of the most enduring, influential, and creative hip-hop artists to emerge in the early 2010s. The TeamSESH founder has recorded dozens of albums, racking up hundreds of millions of streams and feeding a fanbase that eagerly awaits his every move. Despite remaining fiercely independent and true to his underground roots, his music has permeated the mainstream–in 2015, A$AP Rocky sampled BONES’ song “Dirt” for “Canal St.” (124 million streams), and in recent years, BONES has performed in prime slots at festivals such as Rolling Loud as a member of Seshollowaterboyz (along with Xavier Wülf, Chris Travis, and Eddy Baker).