Demons 2 Deluxe is an exciting project by Fort Worth rapper and producer, Iayze (pronounced Jace). The highly anticipated deluxe album arrived on September 19th, bringing many songs that fans had anticipated for months. His first album entitled Demons was one of the nineteen-year-old artist’s more popular 2021 releases and is known for having the lighthearted song, “Day by Day.”
The eight-song EP’s cover art is a tweet from an unnamed fan that says, “Iayze such a dope artist, but I can tell bro got demons he fighting that he hasn't beaten yet I’m praying the best for dawg.”
This concerned fan references the themes of loss and betrayal that Iayze raps about in his music. Iayze continues reflecting on his hardships in the second part of this series.
Before we examine the deluxe album, it is important to discuss who Iayze is. Although the Fort Worth native has racked up millions of plays on SoundCloud, his career really took off due to TikTok. He is most well-known for his song "556 (Green Tip)" which has since gone viral on TikTok. The playful beat mixed with Iayze’s hard hitting rhymes made the song a sensation on the video-sharing app. While the song helped him achieve stardom, it did not fully represent his range of skills. Iayze’s ability to switch between singing autotuned melodies and rapping gritty lines over aggressive beats makes him stand out among his SoundCloud peers. Iayze continues to showcase his range in the album Demons 2 Deluxe.
My favorite song on the deluxe album is, “I love You”. I like the song because it sounds like my favorite song by him, “Back in That Mode.” In the SoundCloud comments for the song, Iazye even agrees with a fan who feels the same way. The beat is by frequent Iayze collaborator and producer, Lockage, who gave Iayze an excellent piano melody to sing over. I would say that the intro is the strongest part of this short song. The low wailing reminiscent of “Back in That Mode” will give you chills. The autotuned “no, no, no, no” after the intro is hypnotizing. Iayze ends the song, repeating, “I love you”, to a special but unknown person.
I might be contradicting myself, but one problem I have with Iayze and the deluxe album in general, is that he sometimes recycles flows. This is apparent in the song, “Mind Right”, as well as some other songs. Flow wise, one song that this reminds me of is “war with us.” I’m not going to lie, I could listen to Iayze make the same song a million times, but it is sometimes a shame to hear something that I have already heard. This may be true, but Iayze does in fact bring some new elements to this album. I must say Iayze’s autotune “huh” ad-libs do enhance the flow in the chorus of this short and ambient song though.
My second favorite song is “Call.” This time Lockage gives us a Pluggnb beat. The trumpets give the song an upbeat and celebratory feel. One thing I like about this song are the lyrics in the hook. “They don’t want to see me win: they just want to see me fall” are lyrics that stands out. The song ends with, “please don’t turn your back on me, I need someone I can call.” These lyrics may sound generic and simple, but the triumphant beat and Iayze’s smooth voice makes them feel deeper.
My third favorite song is “Elaiyah (Kaykay Remix).” The song is a remix to Chief Keef’s popular song, “Kaykay”, a song dedicated to his daughter, Kaykay. Iayze dedicates this remix to his own daughter, Elaiyah (her nickname is ELA), who he often mentions in his music. Iayze who is actually a Chief Keef fan himself was heavilyinfluenced by him whilst he was still figuring out his own sound. Iayze puts his own spin on the song, singing and rapping about his life over the inspirational beat. “Big body benz can’t park it. Elaiyah loves me and I’m balling”, shows how far he has come in life. Iayze’s verse does end one minute and forty seconds into the two and a half minute song, but it doesn’t really matter. The piano melody will keep you listening for the rest of it.
Overall, I would give the deluxe album a 7/10. In addition to this, Iazye’s beat selection was immaculate. None of the songs were bad, it’s just that some had elements that many fans are familiar with. But when Iayze stepped out and tried different styles, it was amazing. Hopefully he will continue to experiment with new styles on his next project.
