When Devin Bailey comes to Pie Shop this April, they’ll come with nothing to prove. The nonbinary rapper-producer who performs as Pink Navel made sure of that on their most recent album, EPIC, which was also their debut with indie collective Ruby Yacht. Bailey crafted the beats on twin SP-404 samplers for an audience on Twitch, then tracked EPIC live to vinyl from the basement of Portland, Maine’s SPACE Gallery in a single, seamless take. Interspersed with TikTok samples and deep-cut YouTube references (Bailey proclaims themself the only rapper who knows Ze Frank), the album leaves no doubt about their online bona fides. But Bailey’s use of internet culture also goes beyond references, and beyond generating content; on EPIC, they use the medium of streaming to build artistic discipline in meatspace. “Let me remember that my courage is a wild dog,” Bailey raps on the creative manifesto “AN INVOCATION FOR BEGINNINGS,” each word echoing with delay. “It won’t just come when I call it. I’ll have to chase it down and hold it as tight as I can.” EPIC is the sound of that breathless pursuit already made physical. Pink Navel perform at 8 p.m. on April 10 at Pie Shop. pieshopdc.com. $12.
Pink Navel
