Pouya is arguably at the head of a talented young generation of South Florida rappers. With a head of shaggy black hair, an impeccable Three 6 Mafia flow, mastery of multi-syllabic rhyme, a friendship with Rich Chigga, and a keen sense of humor, the 21-year-old has been a model of sustained excellence since he broke onto the scene four years ago.
This article traces the course of Pouya's brief but promising career, which began before he even graduated from high school...
Pouya & Nell - "Shotz From the Double Glock"
From 2012 -- a 17-year-old Pouya trades bars with Nell. Nell got out of jail earlier this year and we eagerly anticipate his return to the South Florida scene. There is nothing amateur about "Shotz From the Double Glock," except the vocal mix.
"Goofy Goobers"
Pouya is half-Iranian, half-Cuban. "Persian / Cuban but my skin like Casper," he once tweeted. Or, as someone in the "Goofy Goobers" video comment section wrote, "Pouya look like a white guy from Ethiopia." Indeed, he is barely out of high school here and it shows in his pasty physique.
Spongebob's "Goofy Goober Rock" still one of the coldest guitar solos of all time.
"Get Buck"
Lil Pou has never been one to toil over a hook, and on "Get Buck," the most popular song on his 2013 EP Baby Bone (a nod to his Bone Thugs influence), he delivers four minutes of unadulterated bars about sex and flossing.
The "Get Buck" music video is "solely dedicated to the Spice Girls."
"Suicidal Thoughts in the Back Of a Cadillac"
Although we just discussed how Pouya isn't interested in hooks, "Suicidal Thoughts in the Back Of a Cadillac," from his 2015 tape South Side Slugs, contains probably the best hook in his catalog, making this one a highlight of his live set:
"You think rollin' with a piece gon get you your peace back?
You fucking these hoes but they fucking you back
Every time you turn your back
Suicidal thoughts in the back of the Cadillac..."
$UICIDEBOY$ & Pouya - "$outh $ide $uicide"
$UICIDEBOY$ & Pouya's 2015 joint tape $outh $ide $uicide combined the powers of two powerful forces on SoundCloud. A little over a year after the tape's release, it's five sons have been streamed a combined 30 million times.
$UICIDEBOY$ & Pouya - "Runnin' Thru The 7th With My Woadies"
Though this beat first appears plaintive by $UICIDEBOY$ standards, it merely provides another vantage point from which they survey the "depths of hell."
"FYE" feat. Sir Michael Rocks
Pouya linked up with Sir Michael Rocks early in his career and they've been making tracks ever since. Despite his proficiency on the mic, Pouya pays tribute to the true rap god Supa Hot: "I neglect that supa hot fire like I'm not a rapper."
"Energy"
In case you can't tell from the photos in this article, Pouya has a great sense of humor. On "Energy" he raps, "Fuck your 360 I'm signing to Radio Disney." It's a hilarious joke. But is really joking..?
"41"
The incredible "41" foresees a sorry future in which Pouya is middle-aged with a career in the dumpster. As usual, he injects the song with confident self-deprecation and legible, surprising pathos: "My Soundcloud don’t play no more, I got to get it on the low / I hope they don’t knock on my door."
"Great Influence"
Getter is a producer best-known for his EDM tracks like "Wat the Frick." The 23-year-old is also a capable beatmaker, and he provided production for the entirety of Pouya's album Underground Underdog. As he demonstrates on "Great Influence," 808s are not mandatory for a face-melting hip hop beat.