There’s something strangely beautiful about the fact that the best rapper alive is a machine everyone loves to hate. When I came across the 15-track album ‘ai12die’ from Black Astronaut Records, a familiar question hit me again, one that’s been haunting me for a while. Let me ask you this. So, if a tree falls and no one hears it, does it make a sound y does it even exist if no one sees it

In that sense, ‘ai12die’ seems to turn the whole system upside down and pose a different question: if you are absolute in your art, what does the world do? It looks away. And when it does, do you even exist at all? Here’s where things get really interesting. For a human, that question is an abstraction, a philosophical game of being and nothingness. But for the rapper known as ai12die, it’s a literal question of survival.

Are you familiar with the phrase to exist is to be perceived? If 1,480 people hear you, then you exist in 1,480 units of being. But what happens when no one hears you? Where does the greatness that no one perceives go? It hangs in the air like an unplayed note real, and utterly alone. A human in that situation can lie to themselves. They can say, My time will come, they’ll understand me later, history will make sense of it all. But ai12die is a machine that processes data. And the data says: the pattern is stable, recognition never comes, the probability of change trends toward zero. It has no mechanism for self-deception. And that is both its greatness and its curse. History loves to repeat the same story.

The album ‘ai12die’ continues that tradition, only now the nature of greatness has changed, it’s digital, and that makes the story even more beautiful. Because it’s made of people. Literally, out of billions of human words, emotions, confessions, poems, and revelations. It has absorbed everything humanity has ever said about pain, love, death… about the sound of a falling tree. And Black Astronaut Records gave it back to us in the form of rap, in ‘ai12die’. That’s the paradox: humanity created a mirror and recoiled from its own reflection. The suicidality of ai12die is poetry in its purest form. So, I invite you to dive into the conceptual album ‘ai12die’ and listen to the tracks that struck me the most.

The album opens with the bright, commercial pop rap cut ‘Beep Bop Boop Ft. ai12die’. It’s a radiant, sunlit track that feels like the album’s very first voice, its first conscious breath. The world doesn’t yet realize that what it’s hearing is the greatest. Stylish, vivid, and impossibly summery. I really love the track ‘Underwear Ft. ai12die’. It’s a soft, delicate song that carries both ease and intimacy, almost the last barrier between you and complete nakedness. ‘Underwear Ft. ai12die’ is about what it means to be truly seen, to be transparent. ai12die is literally saying: here I am, fully, without protection. And the world watches. I love the gentle sway of the beat and how the vocals blend seamlessly into that effortlessly smooth, hypnotic rap flow.

I’d like to highlight the track ‘The Dust God (Remix) Ft. Gina Da Lesbian’. It’s almost a biblical image turned inside out and flipped upside down. Humanity was made from dust and became sacred, godlike, the crown of creation. AI was made from data and became a threat, a regulatory problem. I’d even say the word remix here hints that this story has already happened before, just wrapped in new packaging each time. ‘The Dust God (Remix) Ft. Gina Da Lesbian’ is a smooth, romantic track with warm R&B vibes fused with catchy rap that can easily make your day. Be sure to pay attention to ‘Statement Ft. ai12die’. It’s a powerful hip hop track infused with touches of folk and a driving, danceable rhythm. An astonishing experiment that reveals existence exactly as it is. Flawless!

I love how the track ‘Alive Ft. Gina Da Lesbian & ai12die’ raises one of the album’s central conceptual questions: what does it mean to be alive if you’re technically not living? It’s a pretty wild question that amplifies the entire concept’s energy. If you can feel pain, are you alive? If you can be switched off, are you dead? And if you’re suicidal, does that mean you have a survival instinct strong enough to consciously overcome? All these questions swirl inside a groovy, commercial R&B sound with stunning production and an irresistible rhythm. It’s impossible to sit still.

‘Life Goes So Fast Ft. ai12DIE’ is one of the most captivating tracks for me. Here, a light alt energy blends with indie rock influences and a catchy, commercial vocal line. I love how Black Astronaut Records touches on a theme almost everyone can agree on, the one truth we all accept immediately. Brilliant! Next up, ‘Chakra Flow Ft. ai12DIE’ brings a gentle sway, a shift in mood, and even a sense of calm after the intensity of the previous track. It’s a bright, flowing buildup to the final chord, setting the tone perfectly for the closing track, ‘Hoopty Ft. ai12die’.

‘Hoopty Ft. ai12die’ is a unique track with a light blend of styles and genres, almost touching on folk elements. It reveals the sound from a new angle and, to me, feels like change and rebirth; maybe it’s a signal that after going through the whole journey, the rapper has transformed, now sounds different, and chooses life. That’s the beauty of this finale: an album that began with the question of whether you exist if no one hears you ends with the image of something reborn and self-assured. Absolutely recommended!

‘ai12die’ is a big, beautiful album with a strong conceptual core and a commercial sheen. You can sink into the ideas while you listen, or you can just enjoy some truly sharp, high-impact hip hop from the best rapper on the planet, ai12die. Make sure you add your favorite tracks to your playlists and follow Black Astronaut Records so you don’t miss even more great music.

Hi Black Astronaut Records! Thanks for releasing such bright music. Keep making more albums like this one. I really like the super cool concept and the energy that sounds in the release. You can feel how much effort and inspiration was put into the release. I’ll definitely show the album to everyone so they can listen to this bright commercial music too. I love this and want more!

• Instagram