chasesynx: organized chaos

New Generation Music - 11/11/24 - Published 11/24/24

When my car rolls up to a dimly lit cul-de-sac in Detroit late on a Thursday night, it feels like I’ve wandered into a dream—or maybe a test of patience. Locking down this meeting with chasesynx was no small feat; after a week of ignored DMs and cryptic responses from him and others he has connections with, I’m finally here. The street is silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. Just as I’m starting to wonder if I’ve been ghosted, a small side gate creaks open. A lanky figure in a hoodie waves me inside with no introduction.

The studio is tucked away, more bunker than luxury lair. Inside, the air is thick with incense and faint basslines reverberate from a closed room. As I step in, I’m greeted by the sound of vocal gymnastics: a chorus of warped yelps and drawled-out syllables that could pass for a lo-fi alien distress signal. chasesynx, seated in front of a glowing laptop, is murmuring into a mic. “Run that back,” he says in a voice so quiet I almost miss it. His fingers twitch over the controls as he dials in on a single line, repeating it with obsessive precision.

chasesynx, real name Chase ______ (his last name is a mystery he guards fiercely), doesn’t pause when I enter the room The only acknowledgment I get is a "what's good twin?" and a lazy dap up when he finally looks up. His corner of the studio is organized chaos: a few empty water bottles next to an empty fast-food bag, and a can of Arizona Iced Tea precariously balanced on the armrest of a beat-up chair. It’s the perfect setting for someone who’s bound to become one of the underground's most polarizing artists.

During the time of meeting: At just 15, chasesynx is both an enigma and an emerging icon in the underground scene. His self-titled debut mixtape, chasesynx, dropped to a mix of adoration and bewilderment. He’s been called everything from a visionary to a mimic, his sound described as “a surrealist collage of everyone you’ve ever loved in rap, but blended into a fever dream.” Tracks like “Crane” and “Party's Over” showcase his vocal dexterity, flipping between Auto-Tuned wails and hushed confessions that feel raw enough to make you stop scrolling. His music exists in a nebulous space between experimental and addictive—somewhere you’re not sure you should be, but can’t help staying.

His collaborations with underground artists RweUhlive and TAV13N add layers to his already dense soundscapes, fusing chaotic synths with lyrics that dart between brash boasts and introspective musings. “I'm not tryna be boxed in,” chasesynx tells me later, his voice soft but sure. “I make what I make, and if people get it, they get it.”

But not everyone does. chasesynx has racked up thousands of streams on his SoundCloud, but with success comes detractors. Online, underground rap fans dismiss him as a Yeat clone or a symptom of “TikTok-ified” rap culture. “Bro's music got no substance,” one comment sneers. Yet his small but loyal fanbase, which skews Gen Z, is devoted, hailing him as the future of rap’s emotional core.

chasesynx’s music feels engineered for overstimulated minds—a swirling cocktail of ethereal beats, fragmented ad-libs, and choruses that stick like gum to your subconscious. Tracks like “All Bark” feel like stepping into a kaleidoscope: disorienting at first, but eventually hypnotic. His detractors argue there’s nothing beneath the gloss, but fans counter that the chaotic sincerity is the point. In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, chasesynx offers music that mirrors the messiness of real emotions.

In person, he’s quieter than his on-record persona might suggest. He speaks in short bursts, often glancing around the room. When I ask him about the pressure of music creation, he shrugs. “I just do me. It's cool if people listen, but I’m not chasing anything. That’s the whole point of what I'm tryna do—just locking in and making the best music I can, not forcing it.”

As I leave the studio, the echo of his latest track lingers in my mind. Love him or hate him, chasesynx is carving out a space entirely his own—and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches on.