Since the release of his album Filthy this past summer, it seems that Orlando rapper Maxon has been wasting no time at all in continuing to feed his growing fan base with more music. After dropping what seemed like a new single every other week, Maxon just released an EP titled Kiss The Future!!!, which gave a body to all those new songs like “Hate Me 2,” “Hate The Morning,” “Out West,” “Dropped My Blunt,” and a brand new song titled “Hi Roller,” which features a similar synth lead in the production to Lil Uzi Vert’s “Hi Roller” off of his Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World album—without sounding like a knockoff—and ultimately cultivating his own unique atmosphere, an authentic representation of what it means to “pay homage.”

Although surprisingly, this wasn’t the only instance on this EP where Maxon took inspiration from a trap legend. The song “Dropped My Blunt” features an eerily similar melody to a 2012 song by Future titled “Turn On the Lights.” Yet again, while it’s obvious where the inspiration came from, it feels unique to Maxon and natural within his artistic voice. Part of me actually feels relieved that an up-and-coming artist such as Maxon is choosing a new lane to take inspiration from rather than the go-to 2015 Young Thug or Playboi Carti – Whole Lotta Red trope that seems to be a trend within the populous underground nowadays.

I’ll admit that some of the songs on this EP didn’t make any notable impression on me when they released as singles, but in all honesty, the fact that they all worked so well together as a body speaks volumes to the essentiality of EPs between albums. Music is complementary and should be released in groups to give a stronger presence and convey a fuller vision. Despite my criticism of Maxon’s most recent album, I can confidently say that Maxon has reeled me back in as a fan and once again has me excited for what’s next.

Rating: 4/5