grandson’s INERTIA Is Rap Rock Reignited
Rage-fueled riffs, political fire, and soaring hooks define the genre-hopping artist’s fiercest record yet.
by Joseph Mastel
Jordan Benjamin, better known as grandson, has been making waves throughout the last few year with his fusion of hip-hop, trap, rock, and EDM—all sharpened by a political edge. On his latest album, INERTIA, he doubles down with hard-hitting tracks loaded with social and political critique.
INERTIA immediately evokes the golden era of rap rock — think Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory or Fred Durst before MTV turned him into a punchline. On “SELF IMMOLATION,” grandson spits wicked bars over a blistering Rage Against the Machine-inspired riff that hits like a freight train. “BELLS OF WAR” demands to be played at full volume, destined to fuel chaos in the pit with its thunderous guitars, punishing drums, and an electrifying outro. Meanwhile, Bob Vylan joins grandson for the ferocious “WHO’S THE ENEMY,” unleashing captivating vocal interplay and razor-sharp riffs.
The record brims with commentary. “BRAINROT” skewers doomscrolling and apathy in the age of social media, while the Orwellian “GOD IS AN ANIMAL” explores resistance, censorship, and survival in a ruthless world. Yet INERTIA isn’t all fire and fury. The soaring chorus of “YOU MADE ME THIS WAY” offers catharsis, its grand instrumentation matched by grandson’s melodic vocal performance, making him a true product of his genre-agnostic generation.
With INERTIA, grandson proves rap rock is not only still here, but that its future is in fierce and fearless hands.
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