Daemon’s just as sick of phoniness as the rest of us. The constant grind of “content.” The false connections. The murderous and prosperous personas that sell hip-hop. The illusions he himself has sold. On his latest single with Whyen, “Elevation,” Daemon straight-up confronts the fakery — and ultimately rises above it with wordplay that’s as sharp as ever but all the more compelling in its self-reflection. Whyen’s cinematic, synthy production and Omily’s fervently catchy hook add up to an experience as rich for the brain as it is for the ears.

Now’s the time to follow this rap leader. “Elevation” kicks off a five-single run for the prolific artist, whose tracks “Vader” and “Turn the World Around” have earned him new fans and prominent placement. The latter broke through in a big way, earning a spot on XBox’s exclusive game Forza Horizon 5 and in a powerful ad for the ACLU. Past tracks have been featured everywhere from Bernie Sanders walkouts (“Feel Good”) to Xbox Exclusives (“Turn the World Around” in Forza Horizon 5) to Netflix shows (Inventing Anna, Daybreak, Work It, Locke & Key) to ads (Mini Cooper and Sephora) to TBS shows (the Jordan Peele-produced The Last O.G.). Daemon has also collaborated with Killer Mike and Trackstar the DJ from Run the Jewels, DJ Shadow and more.

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