Naming yourself Famous is a savvy way to make it self-fulfilling prophecy. It worked for Amos, Dex, and Famous Dave’s a BBQ spot in Santa Ana, which I’ve never tried it but looks delicious. As for Famous Uno from of LA, his notoriety has already multiplied exponentially thanks to “Get Off,” which spawned a viral dance craze just off Soundcloud alone. The video just dropped this week, featuring the legendary Tommy the Clown, and a bunch of teenagers forming an impromptu and glorious parade. As the first YouTube commenter correctly says: “Everybody at ma skoo doin dis (Locke) dis shit bang ong?✔️?”
Since the late 00s and early 00s zenith of jerkin’ and the Dougie, LA hasn’t spawned a national dance craze (and technically the Dougie was a Dallas thing re-appropriated). It meant that the entire Vine era came and went without significant West Coast input. But with YouTube still standing, Famous Uno’s track could be the best bet to break outside the “90-whatever” area codes in years. Of course, there’s an obvious debt to hyphy, where the beat originally comes from — proof once more than the Bay and LA are umbilically tied even if neither wants to admit it. Uno calls himself “The Ratchet God,” a term coined in Shreveport, popularized by Trill, but brilliantly marketed and mastered by YG and Mustard – the latter of whom appeared on Uno’s “Switch” from his 2014 Ratchet God tape).
If you want to play the “spot the influence game,” you need to give credit to Uncle Luke, the uncredited inspiration for this type of bass, which Uno is trying to unabashedly bring back — check his mixtape from last year called wait for it…”Uncle Luke Back.” There is a song called Kriss Kross on it too, just to ensure that time remains a flat but gyrating circle. Uno can really rap though and sports a Fab Five Michigan jacket — the traditional symbol that the wearer is nothing to fuck with (shout out to Chris Webber, producer of “Blunt Ashes“)
On the real, this is the most bleak time since I’ve been breathing and there is something life-affirming about a video like this — watching people celebrate, dance, and exist in a purely joyful state — completely deaf to the bullshit. For that, Uno deserves his fame and more.
