Lil Xan - TREE SAP

What this video is

Released January 8, 2019, TREE SAP sits at the tail end of the SoundCloud rap movement's cultural peak — a moment when artists like Lil Xan had already achieved mainstream crossover but were navigating the post-hype, post-controversy phase of their careers. The video's introspective mirror imagery and smoke-shrouded urban staging reflect the self-awareness and melancholy embedded in the emo-trap subgenre. The 'Be…

Why it matters

TREE SAP is a textbook document of the late SoundCloud rap video form: rapid editing pace (1.9s avg shot), practical smoke effects, urban night settings, and intimate self-reflective performance. It captures the visual grammar of emo-trap at its stylistic maturity — a genre that redefined youth…

The director

Joe Goldberg (born October 6, 2001, Washington, D.C.) is a photographer and videographer who began sharing travel photography on Instagram in June 2013 and vlog content on YouTube in October 2014. He built his career shooting and directing for rappers…