Rapper Viper releases album with local label Illuminated Paths

Internet-favorite audacious rapper Viper made an initial splash in 2013 with his murky, line-in-the-sand attack “You’ll Cowards Don’t Even Smoke Crack.”

But instead of just disappearing in the wheels of the hype machine immediately afterward, Viper pushed onward to an unforeseen degree, recording hundreds of albums, one after the other, pushing his delivery and choice of genre even further out there.

Now he’s partnered up with a very unexpected local label to release a physical album today.

Viper’s album The Top Malla drops today on Florida electronic label Illuminated Paths. According to label head Josh Rogers, what began as a collaboration between himself and Viper on a hip-hop/vaporwave hybrid spun off into this idea to reissue an old favorite of Viper’s on tape.

It’s available as both an ultra-limited and autographed cassette and as a digital download through the Illuminated Paths bandcamp.

This article appears in Jun 7-13, 2017.