Deep bass flooded the control room of studio A at RiverRock Studios in Northeast Minneapolis. It wasn’t Chance the Rapper, the Script or Soul Asylum, all of whom have recorded at this studio. This session was dedicated to rising star Lil Crush.
Born and raised in South Minneapolis, 19-year-old musician Matthew Beachy, known to his fans as Lil Crush, is putting the finishing touches on his sophomore album, “Crusciendo,” which he hopes to release later this year.
A recent signee of WEON Records, Crush says his goal is to take the world of music by storm within the next decade.
Crush says he first fell in love with performing at the tender age of five, performing Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” for friends and family at his mom’s birthday party.
“My whole family ate it up,” he said. “They loved it… That feeling… I never got a high as good as that since then. So, I just kept going with it.”
Crush cites Eminem as one of the rappers that influenced him growing up, along with New Orleans MC Lil Wayne.
However, as he grew older, he transitioned away from rap and experimented with rock and punk, going so far as to create a punk band with four of his friends called “Cabin10,” which has since disbanded.
Still adamant about pursuing a career in music, Crush began dropping music on SoundCloud back in 2018, culminating with his debut album, “Worlds Got a Lil Crush,” which he released later that same year.
Since then Crush has gone on to put out multiple EPs, such as “Rockstar From The 612,” a nod to his hometown of Minneapolis, as well as a host of singles.
On his earlier projects, Crush utilized a more “traditional” alternative rap sound, drawing influence from artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Juice WRLD. Yet on his more recent releases, Crush can be heard making use of his wide vocal range, singing his way through almost every track.
He’s not a rapper, and he’ll be quick to correct anyone who tries to box him in as such. Crush is an artist, still experimenting with numerous sounds as he works to perfect his craft.
He says he’s worked with EDM DJs, made Spanish language dominated tracks and one day even hopes to produce music with an orchestra.
According to fellow Minneapolis artist, LostInLeon, Crush’s versatility and desire to work with new and different sounds is a reflection of his drive as an artist.
“If you want to engineer for Crush, he’s a lot like Young Thug, where it’s on his time. You gotta work, work, work and fast… When he’s got something on his mind it’s like go mode. You just gotta keep recording,” he said.
This drive is further encapsulated by Crush’s ambitious plans for 2020.
Following the release of “Crusciendo,” Crush says he plans to do a run of college radio stations, followed by a few local shows and then a tour. He’s also secured sets at both SXSW in Austin, Texas and E.S.T. Fest in Butler, Ohio.
Crush has also started scheduled releases on social media he calls “Taco Tuesdays,” where he plans to release a new song every Tuesday for the rest of the year on both SoundCloud and MyMy Music.
In addition to his solo offerings, Crush is also working on music with LostInLeon under the moniker “LUV MOB.” The name is fitting for an artist like Crush, who says love is a central theme in all of his music.
“Me, myself… I’m kind of a heartbroke kid, and I’m all about love in every form. Whether it’s the bad kind or the good kind… Love is an everyday thing. It’s something we can’t live without.”
