A decade ago, Speaker Knockerz blessed hip-hop with his anthemic track “Flexin & Finessin,” unknowing of the impact his sound would have years later. The late Derek McAllister was a pioneer for the current state of hip-hop in many ways — popularizing shimmering production, granular melodies and hooks that sink so deep into your head that they’re engrained after one listen.
While rap has always held braggadocio at its core, it’s the vibe that artists like Speaker Knockerz and Future — who OsamaSon pays homage to on his project’s cover art — brought forth that stuck the most. The underground phenom fully embodies this on his latest album FLEX MUSIX.
As if his vocals weren’t dripped enough in an modernized mid-2010’s autotune, OsamaSon’s soundscape is not only innovative, but feels strangely nostalgic despite the lane he’s put himself in. A mesh of Speaker Knockerz and new wave rage led by the Opium camp — drawing the most vocal similarities to Ken Carson — album highlights like “Blonde,” “Congrats,” “All Star,” “3x” and more see Osama skate over these flex-filled anthems with potency and finesse.
Osama Season was an impressive introduction, but FLEX MUSIX is filled with examples of Osama’s refined star power getting brighter by the day. Evident on its finale “Talking 2 A Ghost,” it’s clear the energetic rapper has an ear for the masses, showcasing his ability to distill the gritty, fast-paced rage for an experience that feels accessible to all listeners — not just the underground vultures.
Coinciding the fiery project, OsamaSon has partnered with Rolling Loud for his first-ever headlining tour next year. Kicking off on Feb. 18 in San Francisco and ending with a set at Rolling Loud California (March 16), Osama is clearly poised for more festival turn-ups with Rolling Loud as his launching pad.
At just 19 years old, the underground scene has been carried by few names this year, and OsamaSon has become one of its top dogs in a matter of months. Hailing from Ohio, the youthful emcee has rapidly gained recognition alongside other rising acts in Hardrock, untiljapan and Yhapojj. OsamaSon’s career took off 2021 with a series of EPs, including ‘I’m Da Man,’ ‘Vengeance & Carnival,’ ‘osamavrt,’ ‘slime,’ and ‘Bad Habits.’
Solidifying his presence as a key face of the next generation, it’s hard to turn a blind eye to the motion OsamaSon has garnered — despite the Opium-adjacent aesthetic. Surely you’ll see the vision sooner rather than later; he’ll be flexing regardless.
Listen to ‘FLEX MUSIX’ below!
