Draft:$uicideboy$

• Comment: Could use more reliable secondary sources that discuss the subject significantly. — Zawl 14:36, 26 September 2017 (UTC)

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$uicideboy$
File:Ruby da Cherry and $lick Sloth.jpg Ruby da Cherry (standing) & $crim in 2015
Background information
Also known as	$B, The Boy$
Origin	New Orleans, Louisiana
Genres	Hip hop, hardcore hip-hop, cloud rap, SoundCloud rap, trap
Years active	2014 (2014)-present
Labels	G*59 Records
Members	Aristos Petrou Scott Arceneaux Jr.
Website	www.g59records.com

$uicideboy$ (sometimes stylized as $UICIDEBOY$) is an American hip hop duo from New Orleans, Louisiana, formed in 2014 by cousins Aristos Petrou (professionally known as Ruby da Cherry) and Scott Arceneaux Jr. (professionally known as $crim). Via music sharing platform SoundCloud, the duo rose to popularity for their abrasive, self-produced beats, as well as their harsh lyrical content and themes featuring addiction, Satanism and suicidal ideation. They own and operate their own label, G*59 Records, under which all of their music is signed.

Career

Formation

Aristos Petrou was born to an American mother and Greek Cypriot father in 1990. Growing up in Metairie, Louisiana and working in his father's restaurant, Petrou dabbled in punk rock as the drummer in startup band Vapo-Rats. He was first introduced to rap by his cousin, Scott Arceneaux Jr., an aspiring DJ since 13 and a native of the West Bank of New Orleans. Initially each pursuing solo careers, the duo first collaborated in November 2013 on $moke a $ack, a song which featured on both artists' upcoming solo mixtapes. The two cousins eventually came together in 2014 and formed the group $uicideboy$, under the premonition that if the group failed to gain recognition the two would commit suicide. Elaborating on this in an interview with mass media company Mass Appeal, Arceneaux states that, “it was pretty much like cutting the hand, bleeding, and making a pact that there’s no plan B, that if this doesn’t happen by the time we’re 30, I’m blowing my head off”.

Music career

As $uicideboy$, the duo quickly gained popularity in the underground rap scene through the audio distribution website SoundCloud. Their first project together, a three-song mixtape named Kill Your$elf Part I: The $uicide $aga, was released on July 16, 2014 and featured vocals from fellow underground rapper Bones. Known for their exceedingly large discography given the short amount of time $uicideboy$ has existed, the duo have released an incredible 41 projects as of November 2017, consisting of both mixtapes and full-length EPs - highlights include the remaining nineteen parts of the aforementioned Kill Your$elf series; $outh $ide $uicide, a collaboration with South Floridian rapper Pouya which thrust $uicideboy$ into the mainstream spotlight; Radical $uicide, which featured production by EDM musician Getter; and Eternal Grey, containing features from Pouya, Denzel Curry, Yung Simmie, Chris Travis and Da$H.

$uicideboy$ have gained a cult following in the underground rap scene, in part due to their niche subject matter involving subjects scarcely seen in rap such as suicidal ideation and depression. As of November 2017, their most viewed music video on YouTube is for their song Paris, reaching over 40 million views; Paris is additionally the song with the most plays on their SoundCloud page, clocking 14 million plays. The duo were featured in Billboard's list titled "Billboard Dance's 15 Artists to Watch in 2017".

On September 18, 2017, American rapper Juicy J released his mixtape, Highly Intoxicated, which heavily features production from $uicideboy$. Vocals were provided on the song Freaky, which also featured rapper A$AP Rocky.

Their debut album, I Don't Wanna Die in New Orleans, is scheduled for a December 2017 release.

Controversy

$uicideboy$ have come under much criticism for their often abrasive and offensive image, including their name, lyrical content, and behaviour. Many of their songs contain themes and insinuations of devil worship; however, as Arceneaux states on an interview with music podcast No Jumper, their use of satanic imagery is simply a metonym for money, drugs, and other items that have the potential to manipulate people.

Arceneaux is a former opioid addict, claiming that he would lure people to him on Craigslist in order to rob them just to feed his addiction. Having been a regular abuser of heroin, hydrocodone and oxycodone, among others, Arceneaux has reputedly been completely sober from all substances since July 2017.

In September 2016, Canadian DJ and record producer deadmau5 accused the duo of copyright infringement following the success of their song Antarctica. The song samples parts of deadmau5's I Remember, featuring Kaskade; the DJ lamented the duo for this, claiming that $uicideboy$ were "publicizing other people's intellectual property without consent". The song, which had been out since January and subsequently reached millions of plays on both YouTube and SoundCloud, was taken down by $uicideboy$ on both platforms and no further action was taken.

Musical style

The music of $uicideboy$ varies between different subgenres of rap; while some songs have melancholy tones with lyrical content that focuses on subjects such as depression and suicidal ideation (topics not widely exposed in rap music), others are wildly aggressive, with themes of violence and sexual content. Much of their music is based around life growing up in New Orleans; song titles such as Audubon, Tulane, Elysian Fields and St. Bernard reflect streets and neighborhoods that influenced the life of Arceneaux Jr. and Petrou.

A large portion of their music focuses on depression and its symptoms, an angle not often recieved in mainstream hip hop; Arceneaux elaborated on this in an interview with Mass Appeal, stating, “A lot of people take it as emo, or depressed music, or negative music... it’s really just connecting. It’s therapy, through music".

Excluding occasional guest producers, the entirety of $uicideboy$' discography is self-produced, mainly by Arceneaux.

Influences

In an interview with XXL, $uicideboy$ listed rap artists and groups such as Three 6 Mafia, Lil Wayne, Curren$y, OutKast, Kanye West, among others as their influences. Petrou, having primarily been raised as a punk rock fan, lists bands such as Misfits, Dead Kennedys and Leftöver Crack as his influences.

Discography

EPs

• Kill Your$elf: Parts I-X (2014-15)
• Black $uicide (2015)
• Gray/Grey (2015)
• Black $uicide Side B: $uicide Hustle (2015)
• 7th or St. Tammany (2015)
• G.R.E.Y.G.O.D.S. (2015)
• YUNGDEATHLILLIFE (2015)
• High Tide in the Snake's Nest (2015)
• Grey Sheep (2015)
• I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel (2015)
• Black $uicide Side C: The Seventh Seal (2015)
• $outh $ide $uicide (ft. Pouya) (2015)
• My Liver Will Handle What My Heart Can't (2015)
• I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel II (2015)
• Now the Moon's Rising (2015)
• G.R.E.Y.G.O.D.S.I.I. (2015)
• Dark Side of the Clouds (2016)
• DIRTYNASTY$UICIDE (ft. Germ) (2015)
• Grey Sheep II (2016)
• Radical $uicide (ft. Getter) (2016)
• Eternal Grey (2016)
• I No Longer Fear the Razor Guarding My Heel III (2016)
• DIRTIERNASTIER$UICIDE (ft. Germ) (2017)
• Kill Your$elf: Parts XI-XX (2017)