On Tuesday, The FADER released its first digital cover story since 2024 with xaviersobased, the 22-year-old rising rap phenomenon who's built a cult fandom off his weird and uninhibited take on SoundCloud rap. Alongside the in-depth interview, The FADER will be releasing a 12-minute documentary of the artist. Keep It Going will go inside his first-ever headlining U.S. tour and premiere on The FADER and YouTube on February 13.
In the in-depth interview, xaviersobased discussed his childhood growing up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, creating his 1c34 gaming group turned music collective, and his new album, Xavier. Of his rise, which has been intertwined with TikTok virality, Xavier told the FADER: "A lot of people from the outside looking in look at it like it’s some TikTok shit when I feel like I never really played into it, on some trying to play the algorithm. That's why it grew how it grew.”
Directed by Alex Hodor-Lee, the forthcoming documentary was shot over the course of several days and tour stops in Atlanta, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and New York City. The film provides a rare glimpse into the young rapper's inner world as he plans for the Xavier album roll out and meets his fans face-to-face.
Stay tuned for more details about the release, and watch the trailer for the documentary, now, below.
