Image via LOM Rudy/Instagram
Donald Morrison chooses Key Lime over Pumpkin, and it’s not even close.
Veeze – “Pop Yo Shit”
As he traipses through London, Veeze slowly morphs into a light-skinned Justin Timberlake in the new video for “Pop Yo Shit.” The Detroit rapper is taking a victory lap, celebrating his ascent to become the most loved rapper in a certain subsection of the underground after Ganger, became one of the best-reviewed albums of last year.
His half-asleep, almost hypnotized flow, is slowly evolving into something more dynamic and mainstream. “Pop Yo Shit” has Veeze rapping over inspired production from Ddot, a frequent collaborator of Veeze who’s also been putting in good work shaping the sound of burgeoning Florida rappers like Wizz Havinn and Loe Shimmy. Veeze fans aren’t going to be mad at this one and it sounds like it could have fit nicely on the Ganger Deluxe. As a Ganger-afficenado, I’m not complaining; there’s some classic Veeze-ism’s in this one, like: “I got your back, that’s twin shit, no friendship, I got some money so damn old I built the pyramids.”
Sada Baby – “SDot”
“SDot” opens with a clip from the Joe Budden Podcast where the hosts are dissecting the etymology of the different flows Kendrick Lamar uses on “Not Like Us.” They mention both Drakeo The Ruler and Sada Baby as spiritual influences, and all I have to say is: even a broken clock is right twice a day. From his raw aggression to his ability to slowly build in intensity until he’s screaming by the end of the song, Sada Baby’s DNA can be seen all over the varying drill scenes that have popped up over the past few years. The Bartier Bounty rapper drops music at a pace that can be difficult to keep up with at times. The beats he chooses aren’t always for me, but when it hits like it does on “SDot,” it’s hard to argue Sada Baby isn’t still one of the best rappers working. He goes through like six different flows effortlessly in under five minutes, as the beat seems to mouth around his words instead of the other way around.
CUZZOS – “POP OUT”
It’s a dream of mine to randomly run into the ladies from CUZZOS. I imagine them appearing from a cloud of smoke and then walking toward me in a horizontal line like The Charlie’s Angels. It’s hard to imagine a rap group having more fun than these L.A. artists, who are quickly becoming known for crafting some of the best hooks to come out of LA since Shoreline Mafia debuted in 2016.
“Pop Out” continues the group’s hotstreak, building on an impressive list of viral singles and a show-stopping appearance at the On The Radar studio in New York City last month. CUZZOS works as a group because each member is able to bring the best out of each other. It’s an energy that can be felt even by the listener. It would be a fun twist of fate if CUZZOS are the next group to effectively take the LA sound to the mainstream. Crazier things have happened.
LOM Rudy & Allstar JR – “Hit Up”
There’s a perfect synergy found between LOM Rudy and Allstar JR on their new tape, Casino Bag, where the two Michigan-based rappers tackle a number of soulful samples with the type of cinematic drug lord raps, rich in detail and technical flourishes, that make you feel like your life is a 1990s gangster flick. This is a tape for those who wish punching-in took a backseat to the more traditional Detroit flows of the mid-2000s.
“Hit Up” captures the feeling of early mixtape era soul-samples, mixed with the omre-gruff and straight-to-the-point rapping style of today’s Detroit rappers. LOM Rudy, who has a gigantic scar that goes across his left eye, has a commanding physical presence in the video, and steals the show with a solid verse, saying “had 101 spots around, but I ain’t Cruella” and “it’s like I took my puppy to the vet, I used to pray for dog.”
