It's never easy to judge a book by its cover, especially in the case of SoundCloud rapper phenom Lil Xan. The 22-year-old musician boasts striking face tattoos, but says his parents approve of the body art. Drake, Playboi Carti, and the late Mac Miller are avowed influences on his laissez-faire trap beats and delivery—which is full of chirps, trills, and sleepy-eyed vocalizing—although his inspirations vary wildly. He grew up digging alternative rock and had his mind blown upon hearing A$AP Rocky and the Pharrell Williams project N.E.R.D. And although Lil Xan's name might reference an anti-anxiety medication, he's not glorifying using the drug—and says so explicitly on the platinum-certified breakthrough viral hit "Betrayed," whose chorus asserts an extremely anti-Xanax stance.

Such brutal honesty is a Lil Xan hallmark. He's known as a heart-on-sleeve lyricist—his debut 2016 EP, ‘CITGO,' was a moving collection written about a dearly departed friend—and as a performer, he connects with fans by making himself completely emotionally vulnerable. When combined with undeniable onstage charisma, it's easy to see why the Southern California-raised rapper was one of 2018's breakout stars.

Born Diego Leanos, Lil Xan was originally trying to break into music as a photographer, but he switched course after his camera was stolen at a concert, which made him realize that recording music was a much cheaper pursuit. Still, he didn't end up completely abandoning his flair for the visual, which was a smart move: As it turns out, the psychedelic video for "Betrayed" went viral and ended up landing him a major-label record deal.

Lil Xan's resulting debut full-length album, 2018's sonic melting pot ‘Total Xanarchy,' peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Top 200 and boasted guest turns from a bevy of A-list hip-hop stars. The accompanying Total Xanarchy tour unsurprisingly sold out immediately, which portends great things to come for the future.