Historically speaking, most up-and-coming rappers and singers spend months or years trying to break into the industry before building up enough buzz to finally get recognition by Billboard charts. Jay-Z famously turned away J. Cole after a chance meeting in New York as Cole was trying to give him a CD with the very tunes that would inspire Jay to sign the 2014 Forest Hills Drive rapper years later. With the advent of platforms such as TikTok, however, rappers have been able to break onto the scene with immediate viral success, bypassing the preexisting barriers to the music industry with relative ease.
This is the case for 4batz, who exploded onto the scene with the recent two-pack release of "act I: stickerz 99" and "act ii: date @ 8." The latter has even landed at No. 16 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart. In addition to blowing up seemingly overnight and becoming a viral sensation, the rapper has also received co-signs from massive figures in the hip hop world such as Drake, Timbaland, and more, even appearing on a Facetime call with Kanye West. This meteoric rise has prompted many fans to wonder where he came from and where to follow him for more.
4batz Is A Dallas Native
4batz got his start growing up in Dallas and honed his craft before appearing on the hit web series From The Block. The series, which highlights local artists across the country, showcased the young up-and-coming artist's skills with a December performance of his second track ever. 4batz shocked viewers around the world with his laid-back melodic sound, as he looks like the kind of rapper Danny Brown might refer to as "rapping like Batman." Due to his status as a new figure in the music scene, very little is known about 4batz's early origins. However, the artist will certainly be providing fans with a plethora of new info via lyrics and interviews in the coming months.
His Voice Is Surprising & Unique
The ski mask, gold grills, and general demeanor of 4batz may lead prospective listeners to believe the ensuing music will be full of rough and rugged lyrics about street life and smoking opps. Yet, 4batz has taken his sound in a completely different direction. The 22-year-old artist approaches the mic with a soothing, boyish tenor resembling Frank Ocean or Brent Faiyaz more closely than Chief Keef or DMX.
The melodic flows present within "act ii: date @ 8" have shocked crowds with their laid-back grooves and allowed listeners to lose themselves in the refreshing melodies of 4batz's pitched-up croons. This juxtaposition between the rapper's look and sound makes for some of the most creative and unique artistry in modern music and completes a persona that could only have been born and bred in the internet age.
He Touts An Impressive Online Following
Like many modern rappers, 4batz blew up primarily through TikTok before his landmark On The Block performance exposed his music to a wider array of fans. He currently touts an impressive following of just under 300,000 followers on the social media platform. After recently blowing up, 4batz holds 3.8 million monthly Spotify listeners. While these figures may not be impressive when compared to record-breaking artists such as Drake, this is surely a massive accomplishment for a singer with only two released tracks. By these figures, 4batz may be one of the most successful pound-for-pound singers to come out of the internet era.
Fans Are Eagerly Waiting For His Next Move
Based on the naming conventions of 4batz's first two records, fans are currently anticipating the release of a rumored "act iii" track. It remains unknown whether this titling choice exists only for "act I: stickerz 99" and "act ii: date @ 8" or if he plans to continue the trend. Regardless, whatever the artist does next could make or break his newfound following, cementing him in the music world as more than a flash in the pan. While a full-length album is likely a ways away, the artist will almost surely have new music to please his growing base of listeners in the coming weeks. 4batz may have exploded onto the scene incredibly abruptly. Still, his incredible talent and newfound success have gone a long way toward securing his future in music.