Xaviersobased

2020–2023: Career beginnings

Lopez was inspired by American rapper Lil B's "based" rap style,^[8] which led to him adopting the moniker Xaviersobased. He later became a member of online rap collectives Novagang and Jewelxxet.^[9][10][11] In 2020, Lopez traded a gaming headset for a recording microphone as the COVID-19 lockdowns kept him indoors with only internet access.^[5] He invited his friends, with whom he was playing Tony Hawk's Underground: Pro, to join a group he formed known as 1c34.^[12] According to The Fader, the group began as a "gaming clan" but later became a music group.^[5] Lopez and his collective are credited with spearheading and pioneering the 2020s microgenre jerk.^[13][14]

In 2021, Lopez produced the song "Witches and Angels" by rapper St47ic.^[15] After several more releases, on July 20, 2022, Lopez released the mixtape Install, which featured the song "Patchmade" produced by Kashpaint.^[13][14] The song garnered traction online and popularize the jerk microgenre.^[13][16][17] According to Rolling Stone, the song was a popular "TikTok sound" described as a "passing headrush".^[16] British magazine The Face labeled the song a "jerk anthem".^[13]

Alphonse Pierre of The Fader reviewed the song "Classist" from the mixtape, writing: "Don't bother checking to see if there is sound coming from another tab: the feel of two beats playing at once on 'Classist' is intentional".^[18] In February 2023, Lopez released the song "How I Feel 2", which Pierre labeled the "must-hear rap song of the day", adding, "the track has all the qualities of Xaviersobased's best SoundCloud music: Songs evolve as they go, lines stand out that could mean everything or nothing".^[19]

2024: Keep It Goin Xav and With 2

On January 11, 2024, Lopez released a single titled "40" with Surf Gang producer Evilgiane and fellow rapper Nettspend.^[20][21] This was followed by Lopez appearing as a guest on the popular online radio show On the Radar, in which he performed a freestyle over a DJ Ess instrumental.^[22][23] This freestyle was later released as the track "Special". On January 16, he released a 15-track mixtape called Keep It Goin Xav, hosted by DJ Rennessy. The mixtape featured guest appearances from rappers such as Nettspend, Yhapojj, Jtxpo, and Kuru.^[24][25][26] In his review of Keep It Goin Xav, Pierre wrote that despite drawing from various influences, Xaviersobased's style retains a strong New York rap identity, distinguishing him in the generally "amorphous" internet rap scene.^[27] He described the music as "vibrant, improvisatory, and fun as hell", while being relatively inaccessible with respect to heavily layered and sometimes pitch-shifted vocals. He further praised the selection of faster tracks, while remarking that the slower ones are less interesting, but not devoid of subtlety.^[27]

Lopez released his second mixtape of 2024, With 2, on June 5. The album, partially unfinished, was hastily released upon it being completely leaked one week earlier.^[28] In a review for Pitchfork, Kieran Press-Reynolds noted that as Lopez's peers tend to dilute their sound to appeal to a broader audience, "it's sweet to watch someone who doesn't give a fuck."^[28]

2025–present: Once More and Xavier

"Impact", a song by Nettspend featuring Lopez, was released to streaming platforms on March 18, 2025. This was followed by Nettspend's American Invert tour, which was also joined by Xaviersobased.^[29] On April 28, Lopez released a collaborative EP titled #BasedSlime with rapper OsamaSon, hosted by DJ Rennessy.^[30]

Lopez released the EP Once More on August 1, 2025.^[2][31] On October 26, Lopez and Che appeared on stage to perform their song "Mannequin" from Che's album Rest in Bass at Yeat's set during ComplexCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Lopez and Che, along with PlaqueBoyMax, recorded a song together, titled "Motto".^[32][33][34] In December, he released the single "Walk to Me".^[35] He later announced the Riverside tour, which focused on American dates.^[36]

On January 15, 2026, he announced Riverside 2.0, which focused on an American and European tour from March to April.^[36] On January 30, Lopez released his debut studio album titled Xavier, featuring 20 tracks along with the streaming bonus track "Party At My Place".^[37] In an article by The Fader, he was listed as one of the "32 coolest artists" of 2026.^[38] Lopez is one of the planned opening acts for Ken Carson's Xperimenting Tour, consisting of 14 United States concerts from August 26 to September 23, 2026.^[39] In August, Lopez became a "destination insider" for Airbnb in a campaign dubbed "Have U Considered", aimed at increasing interest in the towns Hot Springs, Arkansas, Bemidji, Minnesota, and Gibsonton, Florida. Other celebrities featured in the campaign include Precious Renee Tucker and Zack Fox.^[40]