With its 2016 freshman cover, XXL anointed four rappers as the princes of hip hop's newest wave: Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, and 21 Savage. Many argued that Playboi Carti should have been included. A case could also have been made for Famous Dex, the exuberant Chicago rapper who recently signed to Rich the Kid's Rich Forever label.
Dex has already released three mixtapes and approximately 9,418 videos in 2016. His particular style lends itself well to the music video format -- he is constantly sipping lean, and his unblinking eyes offer a window into the mind of a madman.
Click through the gallery to listen to 10 essential Famous Dex tracks.
"Drip From My Walk"
The "Drip From My Walk" video is filmed in a cruddy apartment with Spartan furnishings -- a recurring theme in Dex videos (most of which are directed by the braintrust at Laka Films).
"2 Times"
In "2 Times," an ode to the double cup, Dex says "two times" forty-two times. The track would later get a remix from Wiz Khalifa and Rich the Kid. Listen here.
"Try Me (Remix)"
Dex remixed DeJ Loaf's "Try Me" back in 2014, back when he rapped under the name Black Migo Dex. The video may surprise his newer fans, as in this video he possesses an entirely different sound, haircut, and demeanor. Nowadays, he's a bit more, uh, unhinged.
"Bottle After Bottle"
Like the "Try Me" remix, "Bottle After Bottle" came out in 2014 during the Black Migos Dex. It exists squarely in the middle of the Chicago drill aesthetic -- glittery beats, ample autotune. Few rappers, with the possible exception of Dex's fellow Chicagoan Vic Mensa, have executed such a drastic change in sound over the course of the past few years.
"Wow"
Dex's videos are usually pretty mundane/low-budget, thus emphasizing his charismatic jigs. "Wow" is no exception, although he switches it up. Rather than filming inside a bando, he heads to the Chicago waterfront, where his antics take countless passersby by surprise.
"Kanye"
In "Kanye," Dex heads to his local cornerstore equipped with a designer backpack, a wad of blue hunnids, and a baby bottle filled with promethazine to buy some Sprite. The video is a bit scattered -- he's gigging on the train, then he's counting money in his car, then he's SIPPING LEAN AND DRIVING. Not very Kanye-esque, except for the pure self-belief.
"Hit Em With It"
"Hit Em With It" might be a double entendre about sex, but mostly its about dancing with reckless abandon, like you just escaped from a mental institution, like no one's watching. The thing about Dex is that he dances like no one's watching while hamming it up for the camera at the same time.
"Hoes Mad"
If there's one thing Famous Dex loves, it's filling women with an unspeakable rage. This time around, he has one of his girls snooping around his various social media channels while he frolics in his front yard, double cup in one hand, blunt in the other, without a care in the world.
"Swagg"
In "Swagg," Dex heads to the mall with his compardres, eager to raise hell. The song is all about Dex's most crucial attribute: his swag. It's tough to determine exactly what gives Dex so much swag, but it might have something to do with the lack of fucks given not only on the surface, but deep down in his soul. Famous Dex is a nihilist.
"My Energy"
"My Energy" begins with a interview that is nearly as repetitive as Dex's hooks. The interviewer poses the following question: "What are you bringing to the hip hop world today?"
"I want to bring fun back," I want to bring real fun back to hip hop. And I want to look in this camera and let you know, I want to bring fun back. And just excitement... energy."