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펀치넬로 Punchnello’s Demon Youth is an unhinged Rap-sody

The Korean rapper takes no prisoners with his new mixtape

LiFTED | Roger Yiu | 28 Jul 2021


South Korean rapper 펀치넬로 Punchnello’s highly anticipated return has been worth the wait. After taking a brief break, the 24-year-old rapper is back with Demon Youth, a dark and eclectic mixtape.

Released in July, Demon Youth is exactly what you might expect from the Show Me the Money rapper. The whole mixtape goes hard, with 11 new tracks that showcase the emerging Rap star’s angsty, clever bars over a variety of beats - all produced by his frequent collaborator KONSOLE. Fans will notice, despite the tape being a mix of multiple genres thematically and sonically, it picks up where 2019’s album Ordinary left off.

펀치넬로 Punchnello does a great job showcasing his expanding skill set on Demon Youth. With haunting Junji Ito-inspired cover art, Demon Youth is packed with Techno and electronic-inspired beats, while Punchnello delivers grimy, rhythmic flows. Refusing to be pigeon-holed as just another K-hop star, the multi-faceted underground rapper shows immense potential, and the ability to rhyme on anything.


Upon the mixtape’s release, Punchnello released three music videos - ‘Who Need,’ ‘Boy In The Mirror,’ and ‘BACK’ - through his label AOMG. ‘Back’ is a fast-paced Breakbeat banger that shares sonic DNA with late-90s Beastie Boys or The Prodigy while still managing to sound very 2021. The track’s video features slick, stylish art direction and deranged violence that you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from. This is all further proof that Punchnello knows how to engage his audience musically and visually.

You can listen to Punchello’s ‘Demon Youth’ on streaming platforms here and check out his video for ‘BACK’ below.