DD Osama and Luh Tyler are here with a brand new single called “Pup.” Both teenagers are bringing bars about climbing to the top of the rap game while putting others in their place. The hook goes, “He jumped, he jumped on the mic and rapped ’bout motion / All that just a bluff / N**** I done touched [?] now I need more, that ain’t enough / N**** actin’ like he big dog, know he just a pup / They be trying to hold you down, these n***** mad to see you up.” It is an aggressive trap anthem with a simple beat, but the lyrics are what makes the song interesting.
This is also the first time Osama and Tyler have been together on the same track and this song could lead them to running it back. It has already racked up 400,000 views in just over a day and there is a reason for that. Both rappers are making a name for themselves quickly, but it is also because of the visuals that go with “Pup.” In one of the most wild videos of 2023, it is both hysterical and unexpected what transpires.
The music video opens with an elderly couple talking about what they see across the street in their neighborhood. Both are speaking in Spanish and the grandpa is confused as to why the kids (Osama and Tyler) are dressed the way they are. The grandma is siding with them saying, “There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s the trend.” What proceeds is the grandma joining in on the the party the two rappers are at and she is having a blast.
What are your thoughts on this new track“Pup” by DD Osama and Luh Tyler? Who had the better verse and should these two work together more? If you had to rate how wild the music video was from one to 10 what would you give it? We want to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, keep it locked in with HNHH for all the hottest song releases and breaking news around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
Yeah, we made it to the top now, we get into them blues N**** know we steady takin’ dubs, no, we won’t ever lose Jump up on the mic, I beat it up, I give that b***h a bruise Yeah, we gon’ run that paper, just stack it to the roof Yeah, stack it to the roof, we gettin’ paid, ain’t nothin’ knew
Luh Tyler’s status continues to grow as the days pass and this new freestyle is just more proof of that. About a month ago Detroit rapper Babyface Ray dropped his tribute to the newcomer featuring Los and Nutty. It was a shoutout to the Florida kid who is making waves on the east coast. Ray even says at the beginning of the track “On my Luh Tyler flow s***.” Fast forward a bit, we now have Tyler’s version of his signature style.
He raps a lot about his rise to fame, bragging about his jewelry and the influence he is now spreading as just a 17-year-old. It is a three-minute cut that sees Tyler flow effortlessly over the simple but effective beat that lets his lyrics shine. What is also cool about this song is its accompanying music video. Lil Uzi Vert makes quite a few cameos throughout, which shows how far Tyler is coming along. It is also worth noting these two have a song out together.
Furthermore, these are not the only two versions of this song. On Friday (August 18) BabyTron put his own spin on the same beat. What all three have in common are the themes they talk about. That being their come up in the rap game and this could lead to something really intriguing. What if all three of them came together for a remix of this song?
What are your thoughts on the “Luh Tyler Flow (Freestyle)?” Who made the better version between him, BabyTron, and Babyface Ray? Do you think that these three should make a remix together? We want to know what you have to say, so be sure to put your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, keep it locked in with HNHH for all the hottest song releases and breaking news around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
Ice on my hands shit so cold
We ain't goin' broke no more
He cuffed the h** ne broke the code
Young n**** dripped out head to toe
Luh Tyler has been blowing up lately in the Florida rap scene, but his rise could lead to him becoming more of a household name. Born specifically in Tallahassee, there is a lot of great talent from the sunshine state. Denzel Curry, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Kodak Black, and many more. He is only 17 years old so he still has plenty of career ahead of him, which is exciting.
His debut project is titled My Vision and its highest streamed song on Spotify is “Back Flippin.” It has racked up over 18 million streams, which is impressive due to the fact that he has just a little over two million monthly listeners. He has gotten to work with more recognized names such as DDG and he also appeared on the movie soundtrack for Fast X. Now, he is on the road to virality in this latest Instagram video. Luh Tyler made an appearance on an episode of “A Whole Snack” on the Velvet Residence YouTube channel.
Recently, Luh Tyler has been fawning over female rapper Rubi Rose. Most people have been lately on the internet, and the youngster is the next man in line. In the YouTube video, Tyler is having a blast during the interview and laughing, smiling, and being grossed out by Japanese snacks. One of the questions was to name three songs by the Lexington, Kentucky native and he simply could not muster up even one name. Hopefully, this does not ruin the man’s friendship with Rubi Rose because he seems like a fun kid to be around.
What are your thoughts on the continued friendship between Luh Tyler and Rubi Rose? What did you think about the video? Why do you think he could not name any songs by her? Who’s music do you listen to more? Be sure to tell us everything in the comments section below. Additionally, keep it locked for all things music with HNHH.
Luh Tyler is a 17-year-old rapper from Florida who is having a breakout year in 2023. The rapper first blew up last year when his song “Law & Order” went viral on TikTok. His quick rise to fame culminated in him being chosen as a 2023 XXL Freshman in this year’s class. In March of this year, he released his debut mixtape. The project is called my vision and already saw Tyler getting some big-time attention with BabyTron featuring on the project. The mixtape also includes the song “Back Flippin,” one of the rapper’s biggest hits to date. He followed it up shortly after with a deluxe version of the project which contained a new song called “Ransom” featuring Lil Uzi Vert.
Now Lil Uzi and Luh Tyler are back in the studio together. The two clips feature the pair listening to some new music they’ve been cooking up. More specifically it shows Uzi dancing to the spacey beat of a song while both of their adlibs hover over it. While the two seem like they’re very much into the new material, fans in the comments were more mixed. “Music with this tyler kid?? L,” reads one of the top comments. “uzi finna carry,” predicts another. Check out the clips of new Uzi and Luh Tyler music below.
Lil Uzi Vert has been collaborating quite a bit recently. The “Just Wanna Rock” rapper is working on their second new album of 2023 following Pink Tape earlier this summer. The new project, Barter 16, is themed around Young Thug’s Barter series. For that reason, Uzi has been working with some Thugger collaborators like London On Da Track and Birdman.
Uzi has long been a big fan of Young Thug and said so even more in a recent GQ interview. Uzi called Thugger “My OG” and spoke on both their friendship and Thug’s influence over their career and music. What do you think of Lil Uzi Vert and Luh Tyler recording new music together? Let us know in the comment section below.
While a lot of the ongoing celebrations of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop have focused on where hip-hop has been, it doesn’t make much sense to focus only on the past. No Hip-Hop 50 celebration should be considered complete without taking a look at where hip-hop is going.
As The Notorious B.I.G. once pointed out, no one could have seen where rap music and hip-hop culture would have ended up at the outset, but in the same vein, even he couldn’t have seen how things would turn out 30 years after he recorded “Juicy.”
That makes it a fun and unique challenge – it’s impossible to predict where hip-hop could be in another five years, let alone fifty. Still, if these young rising stars have anything to say about it, the genre should be in great hands.
Here are 10 rising rappers who have the potential to dictate what hip-hop could look like in the future.
Cash Cobain
Rap fans have often been ambivalent about embracing the avant garde. For every Young Thug who blows up, there are a dozen rappers with squeaky or slurred voices who never gain traction among hip-hop heads, who can be as fickle as they are loyal. But when they do decide that they love a new artist with an original ken, they can be as devoted as they once were skeptical.
Cash Cobain is one of those artists who has a chance to go either way. The self-declared “sample God” of New York drill, the Queens native has a flow that is slippery in ways we haven’t heard from trap rappers who have earned the same descriptor. His unabashed pillaging of millennial R&B hits certainly makes him more likely to earn fans than foes, and even if he never hits it big in the traditional sense, his style is guaranteed to influence someone who does.
Central Cee
As much as stateside rap heads have held the UK’s grime and drill artists at an arm’s length in the past, that reticence to embrace hip-hop’s extended family from across the pond has slowly eroded in recent years. Part of this may be due to the clever backdoor those cousins have utilized; drill production, which originated in London’s underground rave scene, is now a familiar fixture on the streets of New York.
Be that as it may, Central Cee doesn’t water down or hide his Shepherd’s Bush, London origins or influences. And while he hasn’t crossed over to US radio, those in the know have accepted him as the future of the British rap regime. It helps that he’s closely associated with a prior favorite in Dave, with whom he collaborated on an EP, Split Decision, earlier this year. It was well received, with its single “Sprinter” peaking at No. 1 on the UK charts. And just in case there was any doubt about his viability with a Yankee audience, he’s got that coveted Drake co-sign via his “On The Radar” featuring The Boy himself.
Chris Patrick
An indie rapper who doesn’t sound like an indie rapper, East Orange, New Jersey’s Chris Patrick has gained a small but extremely vocal following blending the sort of cerebral rhymes commonly associated with artists on the independent scene with thumping, anthemic beats that wouldn’t sound out-of-place in a crowded club or blasting out of car stereos on a sweltering summer day.
Patrick’s 2022 album X-Files is much like its namesake; it started out a cult favorite, but now, a wider audience is curious to see what all the fuss is about. Patrick’s next project will undoubtedly have a larger impact, proving that there are more directions that independent rappers can still go.
Flyana Boss
In Uproxx’s profile of the viral sensation rap duo, group member Bobbi LaNea asserted that they are “paying tribute to what hip-hop truly is.” Their clever use of nursery rhymes in their lyrics harkens back to Run-DMC’s use of the old “Peter Piper” tongue twister, and Flyana’s back-and-forth flow recalls the intricate routines employed by classic pioneers like the Furious Five and Beastie Boys.
Though Flyana Boss burst onto our timelines with the splashy social smash “Miss Me,” they are no one-hit wonders. They have a solid discography that proves that the well of ideas runs deep – but past that, their lasting legacy will be kicking open the door for future “weird Black girls” to express themselves through hip-hop in unconventional ways. Whether that’s wearing elf ears, name-checking Kanekalon, or just being willing to cause a commotion in the local convenience store, there’s value in what they’ve already done.
Kenny Mason
Rap and rock go hand-in-hand. From “Walk This Way” to Collision Course, the shared rebellious spirit of the two in-your-face genres has made magic throughout the past five decades. And sure, there have been some missteps – nu-metal, anyone? – but in recent years, the covalent bond between rap and rock has generated some truly compelling combinations courtesy of acts like Rico Nasty and Trippie Redd.
Kenny Mason’s music, on the surface, seems to stem from that tradition, but shot through with an undercurrent of indie sleaze – the sort of shoegaze-y, fuzzed-out rock that took over pop culture throughout the late aughts. Mason is equally comfortable collaborating with festival rap faves like Denzel Curry and JID as he is imbuing his output with the alt-rock vibes of My Bloody Valentine and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
LaRussell
There’s been a lot of talk lately about how crowded and repetitive festival lineups have gotten. With so many events in the space and only so many rappers around with the sorts of followings that justify their placement, it stands to reason that a lot of the same names have been popping up on many different rosters.
LaRussell, who hails from Vallejo (just like fellow indie rap pioneer E-40), could easily be a standout of one of those lineups. Instead, he’s more likely to pull up in your neighbor’s backyard to play a show for a few dozen folks at a time. His backyard tour concept is just one of the innovative spins he’s putting on the independent rap hustle. He’s kept up a steady stream of self-released projects and singles, punctuated by semi-regular appearances on your favorite radio freestyle shows. He’s perking up a lot of eyes and ears, proving that there are alternatives to same-old-same.
Lady London
If you’ve ever found yourself complaining about the prevalence of so-called “pussy rap” among today’s flourishing cadre of female rappers… Well, first of all, stick a sock in it. That complaint’s old, dusty, dried-up, and overdone, in addition to being terminally untrue. Today’s buffet of talents offers such a wide range of voices and styles that whining about a bare handful of modern rap artists – especially when they’re nothing compared to some of the genre’s pioneers – is a waste of your own time, in addition to being pretty annoying to everybody else.
But, it also makes it obvious that you haven’t been looking for alternatives like Lady London, who has recently received co-signs from the likes of Ciara, who tapped her for the remix of “Da Girls” with Lola Brooke. She’s exactly the sort of lyrics-focused MC that critics of female rappers say they want, and she’s only getting more popular by the day. She’s the proof that there are plenty of bars-first women in rap, and she’s kicking open the door for more to follow.
Luh Tyler
He’s been called the coolest teen in hip-hop, but Tyler’s success portends something larger. For years, hip-hop was all about cool; rappers exaggerated their fashion sensibilities, material possessions, and successes with the opposite sex first and foremost. Somewhere along the way, it became more important to have a good story; “keeping it real” was paramount, but only so long as “keeping it real” meant “keeping it gangsta” or baring some gut-wrenching trauma.
Luh Tyler is too busy talking to girls and telling you about his income for all that. And while that’s not exactly new, the way he does it, with laid-back panache and subtly clever lyricism, is refreshing. He doesn’t try to impress you, so he does. With that as his calling card, he’s helping swing the pendulum back the other way. Think of him as a Larry June for the zoomer set.
Ray Vaughn
For a decade, Top Dawg Entertainment felt like the premier hip-hop label thanks to its core artists, which included Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and of course, Kendrick Lamar. But lately, that core has been less visible than ever as it feels a little bit like Jay and Q have lost interest in music and Kendrick has moved on from the label. Sure, the remaining members are still working on new music, but it’s been a long time coming, and the label could use some fresh blood to energize the buzz around itself.
Enter Long Beach’s Ray Vaughn, who brings a level of passion and hunger to the same sort of street-centric, philosophical music the original TDE roster was known for. But while they were enamored of lo-fi, moody production that highlighted the heady material, Vaughn emphasizes energetic street bangers – exactly the sort of sounds needed to revitalize and anchor TDE as it enters its new era with a fresh cast including Doechii, Zacari, and Reason.
Yes, “FreakyT,” the breakout single from North Carolina rapper TiaCorine, is representative of the Winston-Salem native’s talents. But that’s not all she has to offer. Thanks to a colorful presentation – like a lot of today’s young talents, she counts anime as foundational to her artistic identity – she’s got an eye-catching style that makes her impossible to overlook. But past that, she’s got a wide variety of approaches, as demonstrated on her 2022 mixtape I Can’t Wait.
The diversity of style she embraces is very emblematic of her generation. From the video game-glitch-hop to pop rock to dreamy pop, she’s willing to try anything – and she sounds great doing it. There will soon be more artists like TiaCorine than not, as hip-hop kids continue to embrace the breadth of popular culture and weird internet movements, incorporating them into rap standards and transforming both sides of the equation.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
When I listened to “Famous,” the opening track off DDG’s latest EP release, Maybe It’s Me, for the first time, it felt like reading the artist’s diary. The first lines left me feeling like I shouldn’t know any of this — but I couldn’t put it down.
In “Famous,” the Pontiac, Michigan rapper describes being insecure about his relationship with his girlfriend Halle Bailey. He raps, “The hardest thing I ever did was fall in love with a famous b*tch,” exposing the feelings of jealousy that he felt while she was promoting her film The Little Mermaid, and shares some of his fleeting thoughts of sabotage. While some folks would take those secrets to the grave (the backlash he’s receiving showing exactly why), he’s taking the toxic vulnerability path of Drake and Future. The overall arching theme of Maybe It’s Me is DDG embracing being the villain.
“I feel like my last project is basically, me going from playing the victim to me being the villain,” DDG told Uproxx the day of the EP’s release. “Accepting the role as a villain.” In an interview with DDG as he shopped for jewelry on Rodeo Drive, the controversial rapper detailed his TikTok-favorite single “I’m Geekin” and the controversy surrounding “Famous.”
Why do you think that people have started to not like you?
I honestly don’t know, to be honest.
Is it surprising for you?
To be real. It used to be, but now it’s kind of whatever, it is what it is. It’s just the internet. I see a lot of artists get hated on.
When I first heard “Famous,” the first thing I wanted to know was if Halle heard it before you put it out.
Yeah, she heard it.
She was okay with you putting it on the project?
Yeah. It’s just music. Sometimes I exaggerate situations purposely for the sake of the song. I think I’m going to just stop trolling. They can’t handle my humor, so I’m gonna just chill, drop music, and let it ride out.
You recently mentioned in a vlog how you wanted to start taking music more seriously and stop making the kind of videos you’re known for and on “Hard On Myself” you say: “Doin’ videos on the ‘net, but I’d rather just rap / One day, I’ma take that leap of faith and just focus on that.”
What’s holding you back from taking that leap of faith, outside the YouTube money?
It is just like – that’s how a lot of people might fall off in a way. They try to abandon what they are, where they got solid, for something that could work out or couldn’t. But, I just really want to do music. I’m just passionate about it. I ain’t tripping on no money or no shit. I just want to see how far I can do the music stuff.
I also want to also talk about the sound of the project because some of the songs like “Rizz” and “Rambo” sound like the early SoundCloud rap era. Is that what you were going for?
Nah, I wouldn’t say that vibe. I’d say I just got a few songs that are more specifically for performance. Then I got some songs that are more experimental, like the “Famous” song. It’s like a UK garage/hip-hop beat — a new sound that I was trying out. You got the slow joints, but the ones that were hyped are for performance.
“Hard on Myself” is nice. What made you record a song like that? Do you have more songs like that?
I don’t. That’s the only song I made like that. That’s where I feel like I am seeing what people like. They like that intellectual, lyrical, slow melody vibe. I feel like since the wintertime coming up I need to get something out for that time. I’m just locking in on that sound.
Since the internet jokes that they can’t name five DDG songs, what are five songs people should add to their playlist to get to know who you are musically?
I would say “I’m Geekin,” “Treat Me Right,” “Stay in My Circle,” “Impatient” and “Elon Musk.”
Tell me what it was like when you linked up with Luh Tyler for the first “I’m Geekin” remix.
That was lit. He’s a cool dude. It was dope. Good vibes. We got in the studio before. He hit me up to hop on the remix and sent me his verse back ASAP. It was like two days.
How did the “I’m Geekin” remix with Bia and NLE Choppa happen?
Choppa told me he wanted to get on it and then my A&R sent it to Bia. But, we are all cool though.
When Lady Gaga posted a TikTok to “I’m Geekin,” was that expected?
No, that was definitely the most unexpected thing.
You have a tweet that says female rappers are winning. Which five are you checking for right now?
I’d say Bia, Cardi B, Latto, Coi Leray, and Nicki Minaj.
Considering the song “Pioneer” and your journey so far, would you say you are creating your own kind of blueprint?
Yeah, I would say so. I feel like what I’m doing is extremely difficult. That’s why it hasn’t been done at my magnitude yet.
In a past interview with Uproxx, you said you wanted to know what it felt like to be Drake, Lil Baby, 50 Cent, and Diddy. You said, “I want to know what it feels like and I’m chasing that experience.” How close to that do you feel like you are?
I don’t know. I feel like I’m pretty far. I don’t look at any of my accomplishments and be like, “Oh, I’m getting closer.” I feel like my success has no limit. It’s hard for me to gauge how close I am to anything. I feel like when you get older it’s like, in the music industry especially, you don’t want to rap your whole life. You want to be able to have a catalog where you can also do other sh*t.
Is there an album next or will there be a third installment to this It’s Not Me It’s You, Maybe It’s Me, toxic series?
No, I’m working on the album. I’m going to put out a real album with a good amount of songs. One solid consistent sound. I have been talking to OG Parker about a Die 4 Respect 2 project. That might come about at some point.
“I don’t know, Doc. I just feel like people really be hatin’ on me for no reason, and they don’t really know what be going on. They just be going off of what they see on the internet,” DDG said in his newly dropped official trailer for Maybe It’s Me… while laying on what appears to be a therapist’s coach. “But if people knew what was really going on, like, I wouldn’t even be going through this mentally.”
DDG references “a little screenshot on Twitter scandal” that started his struggle, presumably the DMs exposed his ex-partner Rubi Rose, which has “been going on for, like, five, six months now.” The camera cuts to a young Woo Wop holding a notepad and asking DDG why he decided to DM his ex. DDG said he “was just being petty,” which directly nods toward his February single, “Way Too Petty.”
Woo Wop encourages DDG to “be the bigger person” because he’s “not in the same position as before.”
DDG is about to attract even more attention with the release of Maybe It’s Me…, and below is everything to know about the album so far.
Release Date
Maybe It’s Me… is out Friday, July 14, via DDG Entertainment Inc./Epic Records.
As confirmed by DDG’s Instagram post sharing the tracklist, the album’s featured artists are BIA, Luh Tyler, and NLE Choppa.
Artwork
Singles
DDG released the sizzling single “This Summer” in early April, but it was quickly overshadowed by the sticky, self-aggrandizing “I’m Geekin.” DDG remixed “I’m Geekin” with Luh Tyler in May and again with BIA and NLE Choppa in June. Most recently, DDG dropped “Trynna Link” last week.
Tour
As of this writing, DDG had no announced plans for a subsequent tour.
Maybe It’s Me… is out 7/14 via DDG Entertainment Inc./Epic Records. Find more information here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The coolest teen in rap is back with another trunk thumper. “Brand New Blues” fits right in with the rest of Luh Tyler‘s oeuvre, featuring swaggering verses and no hook to speak of, laid over a ghostly combination of synth sounds and a thundering kick drum. “I told you I don’t need no pen and pad, I’m comin’ off my top,” he smirks. “These n****s chasin’ hoes before the bag, that sh*t gotta stop.”
Those are the sort of priorities that ensured Luh Tyler a place in XXL‘s 2023 Freshman Class alongside other breakout stars like GloRilla, Lola Brooke, and TiaCorine. While there’s likely more content to come on that front, Tyler himself has stuck to his own grind, dropping the “Weeks” video just a couple of weeks ago and joining Moneybagg Yo on the Larger Than Life Tour later this summer. Tyler’s solo My Vision Tour is wrapping up this week with a show tonight in Orlando, just four hours from his hometown, Tallahassee, and the finale in Tampa tomorrow. Then, he’ll be headed overseas for Rolling Loud festivals in Portugal and Germany before a triumphant homecoming to RL Miami. That’ll be a sight to see.
Listen to Luh Tyler’s “Brand New Blues” above.
Luh Tyler is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The 2023 XXL Freshman has been revealed. The artists gracing this year’s cover include Philadelphia’s 2Rare, UK rapper Central Cee, Milwaukee native DC The Don, Memphis breakout stars Finesse2Tymes and GloRilla, the crooner Fridayy, New Yorker Lola Brooke, Florida fly guy Luh Tyler, New Orleans standout Rob49, Real Boston Richey, Michiganer SleazyWorld Go, and Houston viral star TiaCorine.
If those names aren’t familiar to you, Uproxx has you covered with some background. See the links below for more information about each of these rappers, from their UPROXX Sessions performances to profiles and interviews explaining just who they are and why you should be paying attention.
Here’s 2Rare’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Q-Pid.”
Central Cee and Dave recently teamed up for the drill hit “Sprinter.”
DC The Don performed “Enemies” on UPROXX Sessions.
Finesse2Tymes shared his Bar Stories with Uproxx’s Cherise Johnson.
Luh Tyler wants to be known as more than just a “back flippin’” hip-hop newbie. The “Law & Order” rapper has a new single, “Weeks,” featuring NoCap, which shows that the rising rappers are here to earn their stops in the genre’s new class. The energetic song, co-produced by Al Geno and Luci G, appears on Luh Tyler’s new album, My Vision.
To drive home the rise-and-grind point of the single, director Cotto Over Did It shows Luh Tyler and NoCap’s never-ending work schedule as they fight for their spots in hip-hop.
On the track’s opening, Tyler sets the bar high by rapping, “Everybody tryna be a star, but they don’t know the feeling / Every day we on the grind, my mama know we gon’ have millions / We gon’ run that paper up, I need it up there with the ceiling / N****, if it ain’t about that bag, then I don’t want no dealings / Everybody tryna be a star, but they don’t know the feeling / Every day we on the grind, my mama know we gon’ have millions / We gon’ run that paper up, I need it up there with the ceiling / N****, if it ain’t about that bag, then I don’t want no dealings.”
Watch the full video above.
My Vision is out now via Atlantic. Find more information here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
2023 XXL Freshman Class 