It’s been an eventful summer for the AMP Crew, who are only growing in popularity as the days pass. The crew moved out of the AMP house for the summer in Atlanta to relocate to New York, only to face a string of unfortunate events. Initially moving into a “trap house,” they eventually moved into their penthouse only to get booted out three days later. And if there’s any credence to Kai Cenat’s theory, the owner simply used AMP’s platform to move the $30M piece of real estate.
They’ve worked their way around these setbacks and still unleashed plenty of content online, even at their own expense. Take for example Kai’s Friday stream with Ice Spice and Lil Yachty, where they crammed themselves inside the back of a U-Haul truck. But beyond that, it’s clear that their summer domination continues, especially with their recent AMP Freshman Cypher. The 2023 edition found each member of AMP, Kai Cenat, Fanum, ChrisNxtDoor, Agent 00, Duke Dennis, and ImDavisss stepping up to the plate for a wildly entertaining cypher that also included a verse from Kevin Hart a.k.a Chocolate Droppa.
But we have to be honest – these guys are basically cosplaying as rappers anytime they release a cypher. However, in some cases, making music seems like a viable career path if the streaming wave ends up crashing. In any case, we’re ranking the AMP Cypher, from worst to best. Let us know if you agree in the comment section below.
Kevin Hart
It’s Kevin Hart. He’s not serious, nor are we going to take his rapping efforts as Chocolate Droppa seriously. However, we have to give credit where credit is due since he was the only one who freestyle his whole verse.
Duke Dennis
This one is a bit of a disappointment considering the hype around his 2023 AMP Freshman Cypher. Out of everyone in AMP, Duke Dennis -- who recently caught flack for his choice of attire -- is the only person who could actually pass for a rapper by looks alone. It's too bad his freestyle was subpar and he looked just as bored in the video. That's not to say he's a horrible rapper, either -- he just sounds like a knock-off version of Moneybagg Yo. It's Duke’s aura that does the heavy lifting during his verse.
Agent 00
The whole meme rap thing is hit-or-miss but clearly, its influence continues to seep through the fabric of pop culture. In the AMP Freshman Freestyle, Agent 00 raps with the ferocity of an angsty teenager, largely due to the shock value. We have to admit, his humor did shine through, even if it sounded like an attempt to test the boundaries of cancel culture with potty humor.
Kai Cenat
There’s been an argument that streamers are the new rappers, and perhaps, there’s no better example of that than Kai Cenat. Though his freestyle felt underwhelming to close out the cypher, it felt like a moment where he could actually pop his sh*t without coming across as completely self-absorbed. Off the rip, he addresses the infamous Tyla moment before gliding through the rest of his track dishing out bars that speak to his come-up: his work ethic, sacrifices, and loyalty. It feels contrived at moments, and it’s hard to deny that Lil Yachty’s had some sort of influence on his pen and delivery. Overall, Kai held his own on this year’s AMP Freshman list and we got to salute his hustle.
ChrisNxtDoor
Perhaps one of the most obscure members of AMP, ChrisNxtDoor has certainly shown out as one of the more musically inclined members of the crew. Though his wordplay is impressive, it’s really his nasally yet raspy vocals that perfectly complement the riveting and spacey production choice on this record. A short effort by comparison, Chris’ verse in the cypher left a strong impression.
ImDavisss
A few bars in, ImDavisss stops the beat and reflects on how his music career hasn’t really panned out over the past three years. However, the latest AMP Cypher might eventually lead to a record deal for the budding artist. Sure, his raps are just fine but the second he leaps into the harmonies, he starts sounding like Bryson Tiller. There’s a lot of potential to be tapped into it so hopefully, Davis keeps this momentum up and drops some actual heat in the near future.
Fanum
Fanum really showed out as the MVP of the AMP Freshman Cypher 2024. Taking on a laidback, boom-bap-esque inspired production, the New Yorkisms flowed out of him smoothly in a way that had faint remnants of the jovial energy of Pro Era’s early come-up. However, Fanum really pulled out with high-energy, slick wordplay and one of the better-beat selections that positioned him at the top of this list.