Lex the Lexicon Artist is an emcee now based in New York, formerly of the Bay Area, who has really hit the ground running since she dropped her debut album, Raging Ego, back in 2018. Since that time, there have been themed projects like a Mob Psycho 100 EP, enough guest spots to fill a compilation, and a sophomore album, Alter Ego, which came out just this past March. Now she’s back with new EP to defy stereotypes, Lex and the City.

While this EP title is parodying Sex and the City, rest assured that this isn’t a project taking its theme from the show. Instead, this is a project for Lex to get real and talk about sex in a way that is honest and positive. It’s a project about the journey that it took for an Asian American nerd to become comfortable with their own body, their looks, and their sexuality. We always need sex positive songs in hip hop anyway, since there’s definitely a tradition of braggadocio and misogyny when it comes to sex and hip hop that has distorted a lot of peoples views over the years, but it’s especially needed when it comes to an under-represented point of view like Lex’s. In the U.S., we often either think of Asian Americans as asexual or we think of them in terms of fetishes, not allowing them to choose their own representation as fully realized people whose sexualities fall all along the spectrum just like any other population. Similarly, we often think of nerds along the same lines, even though plenty of people who like video games or anime or comic books also have sexual desires that are completely normal as well. This is all to say that while some people outside of these communities will hear these songs and have a reaction like, “Oh! I had no idea,” many within these communities will have a reaction like “Duh!” and “Thank you!”

For this project, Lex has enlisted producers such as J.W. Friedman, Zilla Personal, Jayson Jennings, and Darrein STL. Together, they are giving Lex a soundscape that leans a little towards synth pop, which as it turns out fits Lex very well as she gets real about her sexuality on these tracks. The EP starts off with a little bit of humor to it, as we open with “Hot Enough,” which deals with Lex learning that as she’s gotten older and grown out of an awkward phase, she’s actually become sexually desirable to other people, which is manifested in a chorus where she celebrates being hot enough to steal your man. Of course, she also explains that she would never do it, because she doesn’t want to do another woman like that and that any man that would leave you like that isn’t worth keeping, because this project is also about having healthy and positive conversations and sexual and romantic relationships. From there, we get dirtier with “Hotel Bed,” which is pretty self-explanatory, and we’re off to the races from there, which all culminates in a climax with “Downtown.” “Downtown,” which also enlists the help of Hila the Killa, finds the two emcees expressing their sexual needs and desires with no apologies, namely that their partners should want to go “Downtown” if they really want to please them. The song is absolutely filthy and fun, and it might make you blush, but it’s also just a really good song and features some of the best production on the EP. The EP also closes with a remix of “Asian American Beauty,” which came from Lex’s first LP, which started this whole journey as she discussed how growing up she didn’t quite fit into Asian or American beauty standards, but now she has learned to love her own body. It’s a really nice full circle moment to end on.

While I don’t need another heterosexual male rapper to brag about his sexual exploits, I do need more emcees bringing different perspectives to the table and to have healthy, mature discussions about their sexuality. Lex the Lexicon Artist has done just that with Lex and the City. It’s not only much needed, it’s also just really fun to listen to.