coast contra

Over the past few months, four-man hip-hop band Coast Contra has slowly but surely seen its profile rise thanks to a string of viral freestyle videos that see the quartet sitting around a table in their studio trading bars to underground rap faves like Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods,” Nas’ “Speechless,” and JID’s “Never.” Their increased notoriety landed them a performance slot on The Tonight Show last month, their debut television performance, and today, they’ve received what might be their biggest look yet as pop-R&B icon Ciara recruits them to appear on her new single “Jump.”

One of the group’s claims to fame is the raucous, upbeat energy of their back-and-forth rhymes, which harkens back to the unified flows of groups like The Furious Five, Jurassic 5, and more recently, Brockhampton. Their synchronization evokes the lock-step tightness of Ciara’s backup dancers performing the intricate choreography of hits like “Goodies,” “Dose,” or “Melanin.” And while “Jump” isn’t the best showcase for Coast Contra’s sometimes dizzying lyricism, it does showcase their tight-knight chemistry and gives a whole new audience a taste of their unique style — perhaps enough to inspire some more listening and convert a whole new fanbase.

Watch Ciara’s “Jump” video above.