XV - Mirror's Edge

For most of us, breaking out the Xbox (or Wii, Playstation, Colecovision, etc.) and indulging in a few, uh, wheatgrass shots falls squarely under the heading of “slacking off”—for XV, however, it’s research. Premiered last week on Hot97, the lead single off the Booth favorite’s long, long-awaited Everybody’s Nobody mixtape finds him taking inspiration from bestselling 360 title Mirror’s Edge, relating the hit platformer’s free-running action to his quest for musical superstardom.  Frequent production collaborator Seven‘s dreamy synth-piano instrumental is more than a little reminiscent of the spacey, ambient tunes Solar Fields composed for MA‘s score, but Pac-Man Fever this ain’t—the Wichita rapper’s bouncy delivery is in full effect as he once again addresses the pressures of life in the spotlight, and, though his lyrical reflections are a little more diffuse than they were on the mixtape’s title track and the previously-featured Something Better, Mirror’s Edge fits with the project’s overarching theme without sacrificing pop appeal.  Everybody’s Nobody has yet to receive a solid release date, but this single has every chance of speeding up the process; in any case, keep it locked to the Booth for further details.