Xanman gets a visit from outer space in his “I Know” video

Thumbnail image by Mario Kristian

At the end of September, Maryland rapper Xanman released Broken, the first proper full length project of his career. Since 2016, the majority of what he's uploaded has been bite-sized EPs that rarely exceed the 20-minute mark. That steady flow of material produced a number of fan favorites throughout the DMV and a few other pockets of the internet, but it wasn't until earlier this year with "Gucci Down" that Xan showed flashes of being able to create national hits. On Broken, a remix of that song featuring fellow Marylanders Rico Nasty and Yung Manny extends its run.

Today on The FADER we're premiering the video for another one of the project's standouts, "I Know." The song features Xan's smooth melodies rather than his heavy-hitting DMV flow raps and its hook gives a new age flip to JAY-Z's 2007 hit of the same name. The video mirrors what many young rappers across the country are opting for visually: intergalactic touches on their everyday environment, with a few cartoon characters making cameos. Watch the video above.