Dallas rapper ian seemingly came out of nowhere in 2024. His debut mixtape, Valedictorian, churned some critics stomachs, but also turned some heads. He likes to borrow from artists like Chief Keef and Future, while putting a bit of a cloud rap aesthetic over it. Then, just a few months later, he would go on to drop his debut album, Goodbye Horses. This effort once again got some similar response from the in-depth analyzers, but his cult following remains strong. This sudden success has led to some backlash from his contemporaries as well, especially Tyler, The Creator. Love him or hate him, he's been having a banner year, and it's led to some major collaborations, tours, and respectable numbers on streaming.
But despite all of that, and with 2024 coming to a close, you would think ian would be fine just moving into 2025. But no, he's come back again this weekend with some new material. This time, it's a new track called "No Way." Based on a recent post to his Instagram announcing a part two to his ian US tour, this cut seems to be more of a loosie rather than a single. However, we feel it's one of his best songs to date. The topical focus on separating yourself from badgering haters while winning in the process is always going to hit home. It's a relatable listen and the production sounds much more polished and put together compared to some of his material from earlier this year. Go check it out with the link below.
"No Way - Ian
Quotable Lyrics:
S*** gettin' closer and I'm still runnin'
I'm tryna force it, but I just can't
Still tryna laugh when this s*** not funny
Nothin' is normal, but that's okay
I'm movin' slow, gettin' fast-a** money
Ran out of hope, but the bag kept comin'