Alexander Knight: A Seat At The Round Table
Alexander Knight for ARCHIV3 Magazine; photo courtesy of @devscanon
In the pantheon of underground hip-hop, there exists a select few that stand out amongst the rest. Diamonds in the rough are hard to come by. 2hollis is fusing synth lead waves with hulking 808’s. Astoria native Lexa Gates has combined jazz rap and RnB, singing and rhyming effortlessly. FearDorian drops project after project despite graduating high school just this year. And then there is Alexander Knight. Hailing from Washington Heights, Knight (real name Lee-Alexander Carter) recently held his first listening party at Penthouse Recording Studios, showcasing to the public a taste of what is to come, acquainting us with Knight. The occasion marked the release of his latest EP, titled Forsaken.
From a young age, Lee and his family would attend the Fort Tryon Medieval Fest, igniting a love for the mythical Knights of the Round Table, headed by the noble King Arthur. But Carter wasn’t interested in serving the crown, but himself. The obsession with the Medieval ages continued until he started making music at the age of twelve. That twelve year old is now twenty. On the inspiration for his name: “Lee-Alexander is my full first name … Knight is from the Renaissance Fair, but represents giving back to the community, doing right by the people around you. Serving something greater”
Alexander Knight performs at Penthouse Recording Studio for his EP release party; photo courtesy of @joshsauceda.
The intro track, TRAP thrashes the listener with a harsh, mesmerizing chorus. A seemingly endless chanting of “My people stuck in the track can’t get out the trap, you know what I mean.” A lumbering yet provocative earworm. Knight doesn’t let off the gas, with the next track G. H. F. R. breaking out with a fast-paced, unrelenting verse, clocking in at three-hundred words in under a minute. It’s not only the speed that is impressive but the coherency. Combined with the JPEGMAFIA-inspired beat, the track is an automatic standout. KNOWHERE is a calmer diversion with introspective lyrics from the young rapper. “No wonder I run from what I’m fearing, and swimming in swamps of my emotions”.
“I can’t watch sports anymore…I only root for the underdogs.”
For Lee, the lore is deep, but the artistry is deeper. These five songs are introducing a character, nay characters through experimental, alternative hip-hop accentuated by electrifying performance. Alexander’s new Knights are presented to the audience in a cryptic fashion, growling deep on the final track: “MY KING, WE LOST HIM, WE LOST ALEXANDER KNIGHT.” Civilian Knight and Criminal Knight are two sides of the same coin, both housed within Lee himself, one constantly fighting the other. This dichotomy is crucial to the final track: WHAT OF THE KNIGHT? The inspiration is clear as alter-egos are nothing new for the rap world. The concept was pioneered by Tupac with his dictatorial Makaveli moniker, eventually inspiring Eminem to create the braggadocious and explosive Slim Shady. He added: “What I’m doing with KNIGHTS GONE WICKED (Citizen and Criminal) , comes from Madlib and Quasimoto. I’m Madlib, they’re Quas.” KNIGHTS GONE WICKED are formally featured on WHAT OF THE KNIGHT?, with Alexander using wild inflections and varying pitches to represent the different personalities, accelerating what Lee calls a “catalyst of insanity” narrative.
Alexander Knight for ARCHIV3 Magazine; photo courtesy of @devscanon
Alexander Knight performs at Penthouse Recording Studio for his EP release party; photo courtesy of @joshsauceda.
He even deigned some of my more, let’s say, ‘left field’ questions.
My incredibly imperative inquiry — “Which song from Forsaken represents which Power Ranger? Five songs, five power rangers.” He answered quicker than I predicted, replying:
“I feel like KNOWHERE has a green forest type of vibe to it . . . the production, energy, the way that the chorus is raw and meant to be sung amongst a community, almost like a spiritual chant —FORSAKEN is red just because it’s the title track . . .(it) represents the whole EP in one much like the red ranger. It’s also explicitly calling out issues of the world without being super obvious; it feels similar to the leadership capability of the Red ranger. WHAT OF THE KNIGHT? is yellow just because it’s all over the place and super colorful yet very grounded in meaning. G.H.F.R is blue just because it’s a vibe, very active, and quick. I just feel like that song has a blue aura.. TRAP is pink because . . . it’s a dark song; it’s commentary on the ways in which society aims to keep people of color in a trap to profit off of them and their culture and art. I also felt influenced by 2 Chainz’ Pretty Girls Like Trap Music cover because I definitely was thinking about that cover when I was tryna to come up with single cover art for the song.”
Alexander Knight performs at Penthouse Recording Studio for his EP release party; photo courtesy of @joshsauceda.
When asked about future releases, Lee revealed he has the next “Ten years or so of albums planned, all connected through a single storyline.” Think about that. Carter is only twenty years old. Knowing the next decade of releases is unheard of in the music industry. I barely comprehend the next few weeks of my life, much less years. I inquired further, asking if the music already existed. He chuckled: “It will come to me as I make it.” For now, we wait in anticipation. Cheers to Alexander, the newest Knight at the Round Table.
Alexander Knight for ARCHIV3 Magazine; photo courtesy of @devscanon
Writing: Cameron Brown
Photography: Devon Morgan, Josh Sauceda
Editing: Josh Sauceda
