SONNY is no stranger to taking risks. “I don’t know what the future holds / F*** it take a chance,” he tears off on his latest effort — proving the Chicago native’s willingness to roll the dice and take a leap of faith.
Sonically versed and artistic to his core, the fast-rising underground emcee lets his music speak for himself. Carefully curating his sound and building his discography since 2019-20 — leveling up this past year with singles in “BACKWOODS & HOUSE SHOES” and “ALL I HEAR” — SONNY makes the Chicago connection with prolific director Lonewolf on the ambitiously catchy “RISKY.”
This is a full circle moment for SONNY, who achieved notoriety through his viral hit “Kill Bill” in 2021. Revealing that he’s been watching Lone’s videos since high school, the visionary director-author felt a connection to “RISKY” as soon as he heard it. Crafting the track over a year ago in his mother’s house, “RISKY” not only feels like a elevated introduction for the budding Chi-Town artist, but is the first step towards his upcoming 9-track EP, A.G.N.B, dropping on Feb. 15.
“Lone is cool as hell… Off the bat, I felt like he was gonna put his best foot forward with what we had to work with. It’s the first single off an EP I’m putting out in February called ‘A.G.N.B,’ which stands for All Gas No Breaks… The whole premise of the [project] is to just keep going with whatever it is you’re doing. Be fully yourself all the time and never stop doing what you’re passionate about.”
SONNY to OGM
Recently opening for Dro Kenji and Midwxst — who he maintains a close friendship with — on their joint tour stop in Chicago, it’s evident that SONNY is destined to become one of the city’s next underground stars. “RISKY” is not only a darker and eerie pocket of his sound, but highlights his hunger to succeed more than ever before. The starkly-lit video further illustrates the emphasize on the moody yet voracious tone SONNY employs throughout — running on the gravel tracks of a CTA station with the cityscape glistening in the background.
“A n*** got ambition / You can’t make no f***n’ money being timid,” he drawls off with ferocity, interpolating a cadence consistent with many of Chicago’s bona fide trendsetters. However, SONNY shines flexing his own flow — floating over the menacing, fast-paced production and knowing that taking risks is imperative to achieve what you desire. “You wanna get rich / Shit get risky,” he raps on the hook, further capturing his message of “shit don’t change ‘til you get up and wipe yo ass.”
“I wanted to make a song for myself to listen to as inspiration for times where I felt stagnant,” he explained. “Between ‘RISKY’ and the other two singles I’ve dropped [recently], the main difference is the tone. I wanted it to feel dark to get across the emotion someone might feel when they’re about to take a big risk — whatever the risk may be.”
With A.G.N.B on the horizon, SONNY is speeding towards stardom and never letting off the gas.
Watch “Risky” below!
