Ugly God: From Southern Roots To Hip Hop Sensation

Over the years, Hip Hop as a genre of music and culture has witnessed a unique evolution in many ways, from the invention of new and-or hybrid production styles to the change in lyrical thematics. The soundscape of rap has moved towards a new-age sway, with only a select few capable of standing out in the scene.

A product of this evolution of Hip Hip is none other than Royce Cornell "Ugly God" Davison-Rodriguez. His playful yet bawdy approach to music has, with time, garnered significant attention and contributed to his rise to fame. Ugly God recently made headlines after it was revealed that he is a suspect in the murder of his friend’s father. While the rapper has been taken into custody, the deceased’s family has taken to social media to accuse the rapper of the crime. 

Ugly God was born Royce Cornell Davison-Rodriguez on September 19 in 1996. During his early years, the Indiana-born, mostly-Houston-raised rapper developed interests in basketball, music, and computer engineering. However, his passion for music intensified and trumped the pack during college. Unsurprisingly, the interracial rapper is fluent in Spanish and English, as he is of Dominican and African American descent. 

As a middle-schooler, he conceived the moniker ”P*ssy Bacon.” He shared why he chose the pseudonym in an interview with FADER. “I always wanted my name to be something [that] if you hear it once, then you can just never get that out of your head… You’ll never forget that sh*t.” Subsequently, he changed the moniker for numerous reasons, one being marketability.

Growing up, Ugly God had multiple musical influences, which all seem to shine through in his distinct sound. He typically employs modern styles of Hip Hop in his production, as well as comedic approaches and racy lyrical content. Indeed, his style of music may have garnered some controversy. Regardless, he has garnered a deeply appreciative fan base since his early SoundCloud days.

Ugly God began on SoundCloud in 2015. He released the song “I Beat My Meat,” which gave him some notoriety on the streaming platform. In 2016, he released one of his most popular solo songs, ”Water.” The distinct track was co-produced with Danny Wolf. “Water” was released under Asylum Records and made it to both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.  

He was selected for the 2017 XXL Freshman Class because of his notable climb. He featured alongside notable names, including Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion, and MadeinTYO. By August 2017, “Water” went Platinum, documenting 1,000,000 units sold by the RIAA. The hit single was a precursor to the release of The Booty Tape, which contained the amusing self-diss track named "F*ck Ugly God." 

Against many odds, the rapper has managed to soar past the SoundCloud era. At many points, he has expressed his understanding of the need to evolve musically. Furthermore, he must avoid being branded a gimmick or troll rapper. He told Billboard, “When I first came out, I was just being that goofy n*gga I’ve always been. Being a troll rapper was a thing, but I was mostly just called that by people that didn’t f*ck with my music,” he said. “They tried to put that on me and my personality. When that became a thing, I had to get up out of it.” 

The SoundCloud famous rapper doubles as a record producer, with several credits and achievements under his belt. Navigating the music industry and its pressures since his pop-off has surely not been easy. However, he has carried on by staying true to his craft and adapting to the times. More recently, Ugly God has stated his excitement for what’s next, hinting that new music is on the horizon. However, things might be slowing down following the aforementioned murder charge against him. 

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