Dax

If you haven’t heard of Dax yet, don’t worry; you just might be hearing about him constantly soon enough (although he’s been on UPROXX Sessions twice so you should be paying better attention). Today, he released the video for his latest single “Child Of God” with a fitting music video, after previewing it for his huge, loyal fanbase throughout the week. It might surprise you to learn that this is only the latest of a truly absurd collection of videos he’s been building over the past half-decade.

Dax, who hails from Ottawa, Ontario in Canada, is one of the artists at the forefront of the modern era where YouTube can not only crank out a rap star as ably as Spotify but also provide sustainability for that star in its own, self-contained ecosystem. Where artists like Dax and DDG might have floundered in the major label system or struggled as underground, independent rappers 20 years ago, we currently live in a time where “YouTuber” is a legit job description.

Dax loves playing around with this concept. So long as he’s getting paid to rap, why not have the most fun doing it? To that effect, he not only releases his own original songs, he also takes on covers of seemingly any and every song that is currently popping on playlists and radio, from classics like Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” to contemporary favorites like SpotemGottem’s “Beatbox.” There’s even a version of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” By sticking to his own lane — and constantly expanding it — he’s been able to flourish, and that success has translated to millions of streams on other DSPs and huge followings on social media.

Now, he’s working on his debut album. Don’t be surprised if all those numbers translate to the Billboard charts for an artist who’s been working his tail off and is poised to make the jump from “best-kept secret” to “overnight success.”

Watch the “Child Of God” video above.