Roy Woods is one of OVO Sound's youngest stars. Born in 1996, with the name Denzel Spencer, Woods came up in Ontario where he thrived as a football player. Ball wasn't life though, not for Woods, and ultimately he turned to music...good thing for us.
In July of last year, Drake premiered the track "Drama" on his OVO Sound Beats 1 radio show. Two weeks after that, "Get You Good" came out, and Woods earned quite the buzz about himself with a unique style that parallels his label boss. Exis came out directly after that second single, peaking at #27 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.
Without many tracks to his names, this list didn't require much narrowing down. At any rate, each track that Roy Woods has released has been quality. If you're not familiar, check him out.
"Innocence"
That Toronoto sound is alive and well with Francisgotheat, the young producer who laced Roy Woods with the music for "Innocence." He spits some young and reckless bars over the thick atmosphere.
"Go Go Go"
A track like "Go Go Go" will usher natural comparisons to The Weeknd, and if you enjoy the XO vibe then you'll probably dig this as well.
"Unleashed"
Woods gets pretty telling on "Unleashed," even going as far as to begin the second verse with, "should I attempt suicide again?" It doesn't get too much better, as he ends it with, "rents kicked you out you need a new place though." Rough...
"Get You Good"
To keep it a little lighter than the prior song on Exis, Roy Woods goes back to the bachelor's life on "Get You Good," beginning with the track on some X-rated lyrics.
Item #5
"Drama" featuring Drake
If you get a Drake feature, and have your own ill sound, you're stock is going to go up quick. Roy Woods brand of music is right in the middle of what's popping in R&B and hip hop, with a silky sound not unlike Drake himself. When they link up, it's a great collab.
"Jealousy"
And it's no wonder Drake heard something he liked in Roy Woods. Just ride with him...
"I been runnin' the stage, you cannot tell me I am fake
My main girl still the realest shit, love me when they say I ain't shit
She gon' spend her cash when I'm broke
She gon' whip through the 6ix and more"
"SKRT" Remix
With a flow totally unlike Kodak Black, Woods makes "SKRT" into something completely different. It's a unique twist on a track that, coincidentally, Drake blew up with Snapchat a few months ago.
"All of You"
It sounds like Woods is channeling his inner Michael Jackson on this one, hitting some ranges that didn't make their way into the smooth tracks of Exis. Are you feelin' the old sound or the OVO Sound more?
"Talk To Me"
Here's another "early" track from Roy Woods, which is only from about a year ago. It's easy to see how music like this landed him a spot on Drake's label, as he spits lines like this:
"Get them niggas up outta your mind, you're mine
Don't change for me girl, change for yourself
Cause you're wasting your time
I got you way on the low bout you and your lines
Girl you know you're fine
All I wanna throw away is designers
Talk to a nigga get further
When it comes to this drug love, I'm the father"
"I Got"
Lastly is another (one-year) old track from Roy Woods, "I Got." As he raps about, "smoke blunts while the backaz make your bum move," you might not be able to help but to join him.