19-year-old Atlanta native Destroy Lonely is slowly becoming one of the underground’s most sought after artists.
Surprising fans Monday with a five-pack of SoundCloud joints, Lonely returns in 2021 with his short EP, XO, further teasing a highly-anticipated debut album in the near future.
we back doe.
— lonely (@destroylonely) July 19, 2021
As the son of rapper I-20 — a frequent collaborator of ATL legend Ludacris in the early 2000s — Lonely’s stake as one of Atlanta’s young enigmas seems to stem from the very beginning. Officially releasing music as early as 2015, Destroy Lonely has always had this aura surrounding him, fully emulating that in his music.
Embodying the distorted, video game-esque sounds similar to those of Opium’s Ken Car$on, Lonely hasn’t succeeded all on his own. Forging relationships in the Atlanta-area scene with long-time friends and collaborators Texaco Cam and Nezzus, his first project was the Nezzus-assisted effort NezzusDestroyed — later linking up with producer Clayco and frequently working with his collective Underworld Music Group.
Lonely wouldn’t start recording his music in the studio until late 2020, where he would drop his project </3 in September and subsequent deluxe version </3² on Halloween. These versatile projects led to his collaboration with Ken Car$on on “Casket,” as the two’s chemistry is undeniable — creating an atmospheric new wave banger for the ages.
“XO” is an ethereal listen — proving to be just a taste of Lonely’s ability to fully immerse listeners into his world. With autotuned sing-rapping and heavy punchline bars, Lonely doesn’t lack talent in the raw emotion he displays. Wearing his inspirations on his sleeve, Destroy Lonely has a fire to achieve greater things — and he most certainly will, in time.
Listen to his latest tape “XO” below!
