Making Waves and Rollin' Tide: Why OMB Peezy will put Alabama on the Map
Written by Waylon O'Day
When we think about the cultural hubs of hip-hop music, we believe East and West coasts, Atlanta, Houston, but Alabama is usually never included in the conversation. Enter Mobile’s own, OMB Peezy, a rapper who is bound and determined to put the entirety of the mumble-rap genre to bed. The twenty-year-old MC has been living in Sacramento, California for some time as he has begun to pick up steam with his unique musical style.
Both of Peezy’s hometowns have an evident influence on his music. His cadence and his delivery instantly evoke thoughts of a young Boosie, as well as all of his contemporaries. The Bay Area influence is also very apparent throughout his production; “Lay Down,” his most popular song to date has a lot of that nu-G-Funk sound that we have heard from another fellow Bay Area MC, Kamiyah. Did I forget to mention that guy is signed to E-40’s label? That’s a huge cosign when you’re trying to come up out of Northern California.
That biggest appeal about OMB Peezy has to be his honesty he presents on each and every track. He isn’t just saying words that rhyme over a fresh beat; he is demanding the spotlight with lyrics that deal with everything from friends and family dying to try to find someone who is loyal to you. It also helps that he isn’t trying to hide his lyrics under layers of over-production, opting instead to let his lyricism take center stage.
The fusion of Southern hip-hop, specifically Louisiana’s Hot Boys era hip-hop, and the West Coast’s new style of production are not one that should work on paper. However, in practice it creates one of the freshest sounds of 2017. With that being said, OMB Peezy still has an uphill battle if he hopes to compete with the mumble rappers that are dominating the genre right now. For the most part, his music should have broad appeal in the south, and probably California as well, but to a lesser degree. If he can keep making songs like “Lay Down” and “Try Sumthin” there’s no doubt in my mind that he can continue to gain clout and visibility.
Peezy will be dropping what should be a huge EP in the Cardo produced Humble Beginnings. The six-track project will feature contemporary artists like YoungBoy NBA and Yhung T.O., and should be an excellent opportunity for OMB Peezy to compare himself with the other artists that are making music similar to his. Whatever the result, OMB Peezy has made his mission clear, and the rest of the hip-hop world should take notice as Peezy is bound to blow up by the end of 2018.
Watch his latest documentary, "Word of Mouth" below