For an artist struggling to stand out, it can be a smart move to focus on your strangest qualities and amplify them. If a conventional approach is failing, then there's no downside to trying something different and getting weirder. On previous projects, 21-year-old Detroit rapper ZelooperZ showed hints of an outsider waiting to break out, but 2011's Coon N the Room is a teenager's failed concept album, and 2014's Help stood out only for its stilted verses (especially considering mentor and Bruiser Brigade leader Danny Brown appears twice and excels). But on his latest album Bothic, ZelooperZ is now both more refined and eccentric than ever. It's nearly impossible to identify a single conventionally rapped verse on the album, which somehow works to its advantage. For the most part, Bothic lacks straightforward melody and ZelooperZ's delivery borders on grating, yet the result is still occasionally enthralling.
ZelooperZ opens the album with his best Lil B impression on "Summit" over a beat reminiscent of Clams Casino. It's truly an inauspicious start to the project; ZelooperZ is not as observational as Lil B, nor does he give off any semblance of stream-of-consciousness rapping, which makes the track simply sound the work of a bad rapper—someone who tries and fails to rhyme or flow. From there, however, Bothic picks up. "Bothic Bout It" is a banger despite (or perhaps due to) a complete lack of comprehensible lyrics. The consistent repetition of "bothic" (a portmanteau for "bruiser gothic" that ZelooperZ coined) suggests that we don't need much more than heavy bass, rhythm, and a couple of well-chosen words or sounds for a song to communicate intensity. ZelooperZ has a rudimentary flow, but the momentary offbeat bits of flair that show he has a feel for the grace notes outside traditional structure. "Bothic, rockin' Rick Owens in Hot Topic / Popped a pack for 175, blew a bag, then I made some profit" is intentionally askew and is easily one of the most memorable lines on the record, not only for its humor, but also for how ZelooperZ withholds certain sounds, creating small bursts of energy.
At times, it sounds like ZelooperZ is ignoring the production around him, like on "Scale," where he moans over jaunty piano. Still, it works, its haphazard parts colliding together to form a mess, but a compelling one. Ratking's Wiki shows up on "Heart" for the Bothic's only guest appearance; he clearly outshines ZelooperZ lyrically, but while his quick "where I'm from" narrative is welcome, it's somehow not as notable ZelooperZ's frenzied shrieks.
Bothic requires a fair amount of immersion to enjoy. With the exception of "Bothic Bout It," "Heart," and "ISBD," most tracks would probably be skipped immediately if heard out of context. "Ocean," for instance, is a relaxing comedown, but ZelooperZ's delivery of "ocean" as "oshaaah" doesn't work without hearing him go through warped exercises on "Scale" and "Automatic." As a whole, Bothic seems intended to be heard as the work of a next-level auteur, but there are still too many moments that beg the question whether it's successful or just plain strange. ZelooperZ is not a finished product as an artist, but if Bothic is any indication, he's willing to push boundaries and could potentially create a style all his own.
