Uproxx Sessions

Lou From Paradise Spits Tongue-Twisting Bars On ‘James Dean’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Lou From Paradise, an underground rapper from Staten Island, New York, is the latest artist to grace the Uproxx Studios stage for a Sessions performance that shows off his sinuous flow. Performing his song “James Dean,” Lou (who used to go by Lou The Human, which you might know him by already) spits with a graceful, well-practiced delivery that belies the complexity of his rhymes schemes and the low-key wit behind each bar.

Debuting back in 2017 with Humaniac under his old moniker, Lou’s easy flow and adherence to hip-hop traditions gain him plenty of attention from hardcore hip-hop heads, while his use of deconstructed, bare bones instrumentals marked him as an innovator rather than another stodgy imitator. Among his influences, he cites backpack rap favorites like Mos Def and Talib Kweli, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest, while his love of twisting syllables draws clear inspiration from early Eminem. Basically, if you like beats-and-bars, boom-bap rap, Lou’s music will definitely take you to paradise.

Watch Lou From Paradise’s “James Dean” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Roddy Rackzz Preaches Perseverance In His ‘Head Up’ Performance On ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Today’s episode of UPROXX Sessions features another LA transplant, the Baltimore-born Def Jam rapper Roddy Rackzz, who gives a melodic performance of his trenches-to-penthouse anthem “Head Up.” Appearing in a red Supreme motocross vest and crooning over his Deeboy/JishBeatz-produced, guitar-looping track, Roddy makes a case for perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.

Roddy’s wardrobe choice isn’t just a fanciful affectation. He’s also an actual rider, who has shot commercials for Reebok and showing his dirt bike skills in the official video for “Head Up”… which I suppose would be a bit like Dame D.O.L.L.A. coming through to perform rocking his Portland Trail Blazers jersey. Among Roddy’s most popular tracks are the wistful trap banger “Never Enough” from his 2020 debut mixtape F*ck Rap and the money-hungry “Addict” featuring the DMV’s own Shy Glizzy.

Watch Roddy Rackzz’s “Head Up” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Kalan.FrFr Gives A Charismatic ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Performance Of The Plaintive ‘Never Lose You’

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Compton rapper Kalan.FrFr gives a confident, charismatic performance of his plaintive TwoFr 2 single “Never Lose You” on this week’s episode of UPROXX Sessions, demonstrating why he’s rapidly becoming one of the Hub City’s fastest-rising talents.

Giving off a similar vibe to LA area rap crooners 03 Greedo, Bino Rideaux, and 2021 XXL Freshman Blxst (who has produced beats for him), Kalan blends a melodic delivery and emotive penmanship with lush, G-Funk-inspired beats to tell relatable stories of heartbreak, love, and loyalty shot through with the familiar notes of Los Angeles street culture. Starting off making beats in high school, Kalan retired from San Diego State University’s football team (he played defensive back) to focus on rap full-time.

The switch paid off earlier this year when he was signed to Roc Nation in March. He followed up the signing with the release of his debut album TwoFr 2, which has rapidly become a local favorite. With his deluxe version dropping over the weekend and adding impressive features from fellow South LA standouts 1TakeJay (a fellow UPROXX Sessions alum), BlueBucksClan (stay tuned), and Chicago breakout star Lil Durk, Kalan is one hit away from following his song-rap brethren into the mainstream spotlight.

Watch Kalan.FrFr’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Never Lose You” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

DDG’s Stirring ‘Hood Melody’ Performance On ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Underlines His Impressive Rise

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DDG is having a breakout year/month/week. His recent shift toward music from vlogging can definitely be considered a success after his Die 4 Respect mixtape with OG Parker charted on the Billboard 200 and its single “Moonwalking in Calabasas” was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Those feats were followed up by his selection to the 2021 XXL Freshman class and this week, Uproxx debuted our digital cover story profiling his journey from working at TJ Maxx in Pontiac to making five-figure checks from YouTube to his current hip-hop stardom.

Today, he caps all that off with a performance of his latest Die 4 Respect single “Hood Melody” for UPROXX Sessions, projecting the calm confidence befitting of a burgeoning star. Along with his XXL Cypher, it’s a glimpse at a surprisingly polished performer who is taking the craft seriously, even as he continues to expand his interests into even more areas like acting and amateur boxing.

Watch DDG perform “Hood Melody” for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Goon Des Garcons Swaggers Through A Cocky ‘UPROXX Sessions’ Performance Of ‘Clanks’

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Sometimes, you can tell an artist is good just from their name alone. That’s the impression I got upon seeing the title “Goon Des Garcons,” and I am proud to inform you that he lives right up to that expectation with his UPROXX Sessions performance of “Clanks.”

The cleverly named rapper is a recent Los Angeles transplant by way of small-town Arkansas, signed to Def Jam, and tapped in with underground fan favorites like Fredo Bang, Landstrip Chip, and Reese Laflare. Musically, he takes plenty of inspiration from Kanye adherents like Kid Cudi and Travis Scott, but with the rebellious sonic proclivities of wavemakers like Tyler The Creator and the artists influenced by him such as Kevin Abstract and AG Club. It’s energetic and confident, yet down-to-earth and just quirky enough to stand apart from the pack. Stay tuned, because something tells me you’ll be seeing this name a lot more often very soon.

Watch Goon Des Garcons’ cocky performance of “Clanks” for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

T-Shyne Brings Plenty Of Energy To His Solo ‘That Go!’ Performance For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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This week’s episode of UPROXX Sessions features Young Thug affiliate T-Shyne, performing his song “That Go!” which appears on the YSL Records compilation Slime Language 2. While the song’s usual guests Thug and Meek Mill couldn’t appear, T-Shyne shows he can hold his own with an energetic performance that brings the song to vivid life.

As a member of YSL Records, T-Shyne’s gotten his fair share of attention as one of the label’s longest-tenured members, joining in 2016. As one of the few non-Atlanta artists on the label, he stands out from the pack but has a built-in multi-regional appeal thanks to his New York upbringing combining with his Southern exposure. While he hasn’t released a solo project since 2018, the increased buzz from his standout moment on the compilation could very well lead to increased interest in another one sometime soon.

Watch T-Shyne’s “That Go!” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

WhokilledXIX Deliver A Glitchy Performance Of ‘Spy?’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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WhokilledXIX’s glitchy new single “Spy?” is currently a TikTok favorite, reaching Spotify’s Viral 50 USA chart and sparking interest in the experimental duo, so it’s only natural that’s the song they’d play in their first UPROXX Sessions appearance. The track’s a rebellious anthem dedicated to suburban teenage angst, with defiant lines decrying poseurs and praising individuality over conformity.

WhokilledXIX is described as an experimental rap duo from Connecticut consisting of “lifelong best friends” Yung Skayda and Karm The Tool. Their music has become a favorite of TikTok’s influencers like Lele Pons and Charli D’Amelio, with their December 2020 EP 19 spawning “Spy?” and generating buzz for their April 2021 EP Fall Damage. Embracing an anti-establishment punk image and harnessing the antsy, contrarian energy of the more edgy corners of their online haven, the duo was able to parlay their viral success into a label deal with Masked Records.

Watch WhokilledXIX’s glitchy performance of ‘Spy?’ for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

WhokilledXIX is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

AOK Delivers A Swaggering Performance Of ‘Cutthroat’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Richmond, Virginia’s own AOK — formerly known as Bootychaaain — drops by UPROXX Sessions this week with a swaggering performance of her ruthless single, “Cutthroat.” Built over a bubbling bassline with a skeletal snare beat and twinkling piano loops, the party-ready song shows off AOK’s one-of-a-kind, devil-may-care style, and full-chested confidence. “When they talkin’ sh*t, call it promo,” she boasts. “Bad lil’ b*tch, and she cutthroat.”

Calling herself “the Black Lara Croft” after the heroine of the Tomb Raider video game series, AOK (short for Aunty Okaaay) is a buzzy SoundCloud rapper with a quirky style that can’t be contained to just one box. Eschewing many of the conventions of traditional hip-hop, she’s putting in her time on the underground scene, performing brash songs like “Trap Rap” and “Hot Grease” at mosh pit-ready shows that take inspiration from everything from ballroom to the goth scene. Disinterested in doing anything that has come before, AOK can truly consider herself unique among the current crop of rising stars in rap.

Watch AOK’s “Cutthroat” performance above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

KennyHoopla Rips His Performance Of The Pop-Punk Hit ‘Estella’ For ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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Anyone with eyes on the musical landscape in 2021 may have noticed a familiar sound beginning to re-emerge from the nostalgic era of the 2000s: Pop-punk is officially back. As artists like MGK, Olivia Rodrigo, and Willow Smith embrace the once-dormant genre, its face is also starting to change thanks to newcomers such as KennyHoopla, who stopped by Uproxx Studios to perform his 2020 Travis Barker-produced standout “Estella” for this week’s episode of UPROXX Sessions.

Kenny Hoopla, who hails from Cleveland, OH, was part of the 2016 wave of breakout artists who built massive followings on SoundCloud. He released his major-label debut EP How Will I Rest In Peace If I’m Buried By A Highway? in 2020, following up with Survivors Guilt: The Mixtape in collaboration with Barker earlier this month, led by the single “Hollywood Sucks.” Later this year, he’s billed to tour both the US and the UK with MGK and Yungblud, respectively.

Watch KennyHoopla’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Estella” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Lil Skies Gives A Rebellious Performance Of ‘How You Feel’ On ‘UPROXX Sessions’

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In this week’s episode of UPROXX Sessions, Lil Skies drops by to deliver an upbeat performance of his rebellious single, “How You Feel.” Coming from the Pennsylvania rapper’s deluxe version of the January 2021 album Unbothered, “How You Feel” finds the second generation rapper observing the highs and lows of rap stardom as he wonders, “I don’t got nobody in my corner, who do I trust?”

Skies, who rose to stardom after his SoundCloud favorite single “Red Roses” helped spur his debut major label mixtape Life of a Dark Rose to a No. 23 Billboard debut in its first week, released the deluxe version of Unbothered in May, adding seven new songs, with features from Drakeo The Ruler, Trippie Redd, and singer Zhavia Ward.

Watch Lil Skies’ performance of “How You Feel” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Lil Skies is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.