San Jose rapper Antwon is not an easy read. For every vulnerable song there's another that feels insufferably ironic, and all of the above are unwaveringly libidinous, some more mature than others. Returning now with the five-song, 16-minute Double Ecstasy EP, Antwon has refined his vision as well as his aesthetic choices, but the overall message remains consistent. He's still a conflicted hedonist, adept at both indulgence and self-loathing.
Double Ecstasy makes more sense sonically than Antwon's previous work. The diffuse cloud rap of 2014's Heavy Hearted in Doldrums, which made any genuine confessions feel like jokes, has been replaced with pounding club-ready songs. On "Luv," Antwon openly raps about visiting the strip club to make himself feel happy like his friends (who consume drugs, in their own right, to ease life's pain), but at the most audible on the hook, he wouldn't dare say he's going to "the booty club" to "fall in love."
"Luv" is an important step forward for Antwon, as it's one of the rare times he sounds at home over an instrumental that's as powerful as his natural vocal delivery. On "Girl, Flex," however, Antwon falls right back into his musical and behavioral traps, rapping bland and juvenile lines like "I'm chillin' with my lil bitch at the mall." Unlike "Luv," there's no self examination, and he doesn't make sex sound particularly fun.
When artists like Future, Danny Brown, and Young Thug rap about excess, they're so beyond the pale or dejected that trauma is clear. But Antwon never manages that level of complexity. Still, the songs on Double Ecstasy are enjoyable and, at times, captivating. They're uptempo and Antwon's voice is inviting, his delivery incredibly consistent. But the EP also leaves the rapper at a crossroads. He could continue to make solid tracks that occasionally pop when all the circumstances align, or he could further explore his more confessional side, but at this point, it would make sense for him to commit one way or another.
