Brandon Callender would have bumrushed Wrestlemania had it not been pretaped this year.
Ola Runt – “Osbourne Flow”
Ola Runt’s been making a name for himself in the streets of Atlanta, clawing his way to the top with tracks like “Monkey Bars,” “Feel Like Guwop” and the Young Nudy featuring “Hush Mouth.” The Yung Tago and Yung Lando-produced “Osbourne Flow” is a horror movie narrated in real-time, produced by Yung Lando and Yung Tago. His delivery is slow and winding, building up suspense before he drops gruesome punchlines back-to-back-to-back. “Ain’t breakin’ down shit, come get it wholesale,” he raps. Ola Runt’s aggression and flow remind me of a 1017 Thug-era Young Thug, which might explain why he got scooped up by Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records last week.
Baby Plug — “My Time”
It’s impossible to know exactly what Baby Plug asked DBTHEPLUG to make for him, but we do know that he ended up with the hyperactive “My Time,” which sounds like what you hear sprinting through endless rows of Dave and Busters arcade cabinets. The up-and-coming Atlanta rapper has an ear for melodies, catching different pockets of the beat to squeeze in words wherever he can. “Now I get paid to pop my shit / Book me a show that’s half a brick / Record label they bang my line, Nigga I could’ve been rich,” he hurriedly raps. Sometimes rap sounds like a sugar addiction. Baby Plug makes sure it sounds good.
Traptize Ky – “Stamped”
Richmond’s hip-hop scene has been developing in the shadows of it’s Maryland and D.C. associated northern counterparts. I don’t remember the last time I heard a rapper shoutout their engineer in a track, but Traptize Ky makes sure to shoutout Carter for getting the mix right for “Stamped.” Over the grating keys and eerie melody loops of Gringo, Ky talks as much shit as he can in about 2 minutes. He has drumsticks, but he’s never been in a band and his outfit came with money stuffed in the pockets. For a week straight, I’ve been hearing “put that dick in her she hittin’ the high notes like singers” in my head. It’s not possible to listen to Ky without getting a line or two stuck in your head.
PG Ra & JetsonMade – “Keeping Time”
PG Ra is a storyteller at heart. His latest collaboration with Jetsonmade follows the same successful formula as last year’s “Lil Stepper,” which also featured production from Jetson. He plays to his strengths on this track, using his voice as an instrument to channel anger and betrayal. For 3 minutes straight, he’s gives out game for free to anyone who’ll listen. Lines like “I’m just like Ali in this shit we can go toe for toe / They hit at us, we hit at them we gon go blow for blow” are delivered with a hardened conviction. PG Ra’s expressive storytelling makes him standout in the Carolina’s rap scene. He says there aren’t any “guides or books to being a real nigga,” but if you take in enough of what he says, you might learn a thing or two.
Yg Teck – “Active”
Yg Teck turns pain and struggle into beautiful melodies. “Active” is the latest single off his recently released project Eyes Won’t Close 2 to get a music video. The Baltimore rapper makes music in the “pain song” lane, crooning about penitentiary chances and escaping poverty. “I don’t know why I bought this watch but I got paper and I’m draggin’,” he raps. You can hear the pride in his raspy voice as he brags about doing numbers and his new cars. Lines like “I ain’t even really full / Used to have an empty stomach,” are bittersweet to hear. The bluntness and honesty of Teck’s music give it an edge that can’t be replicated.
