Image via Karrahbooo/Instagram
Donald Morrison chooses Key Lime over Pumpkin, and it’s not even close.
Lil Yachty actually laughed when Karrahbooo first told him she wanted to rap a few years ago. At the time the Atlanta-born rapper – who sounds like if Noname got into hard drugs and shooting guns – was working as his assistant. The epiphany occurred after she accompanied Yachty to a voice-acting gig, where she realized she could use rapping as a vehicle to her dream job as an actor. If Yachty could do it, why couldn’t she?
Fast forward a year and Karrahbooo is now signed to Yachty’s record label, The Concrete Boys. She recounted this story in September on an episode of A Safe Place, a podcast Yachty does with his close friend Mitch, where her labelmates also admitted to laughing the first time they heard her express interest in rapping. It’s extra funny today because Karrahbooo now has more followers than all of them combined and is easily positioned to become the first breakout star from the Lil Yachty Extended Universe.
Karrahbooo has never been shy about not wanting to be a rapper. Her first big hit, “Box The 40,” begins with “I don’t wanna be rapping until I’m 40.” Nonetheless, she’s built an enormous buzz this year from just a handful of songs. “Splash Brothers,” with Anycia showcases the two rappers’ disarmingly clever writing style with a subdued back and forth that could rival RMC Mike and Rio Da Yung OG. “I’m around ’cause I’m the bro, you just gettin’ f*cked, you just givin’ neck, step to me, then come correct,” Karrahbooo says.
“Running Late” is an airy ode to independence. “My family worried about me, hear it in my music, momma scared for me to get a gun cause’ she knows imma use it,” she says. Karrahbooo is processing in real time the possibility that she’s actually becoming a rapper, and what that will mean for her family.
Her laid-back, punched-in style can be traced back to Detroit and Flint, Michigan, a scene Yachty immersed himself in a few years ago, culminating in the release of his album Michigan Boat Boy. But she’s less concerned with shock value than her Michigan contemporaries, choosing to portray a delicate toughness and natural cool unique to her crew. This video acts as an early indicator that Karrahbooo has real acting chops. Let’s hope we get a few albums before she makes the full transition to screen star.
Kamaiyah has proven to be a triple-threat: she can sing, rap and make the kind of hypnotizingly chill music we’ve come to expect from the likes of Bay Area mainstays Larry June and Berner. She’s done full projects with Harry Fraud and Jay Worthy this year and has just released Another Summer Night, which features two appearances from The Wolf of Grape Street.
Kamaiyah and 03 Greedo pair together like fine wine and cheese boards. Both have a gift of crafting crooning street ballads that feel hopeful and fatalistic at the same time. Produced by Linkup, “Lamborghini Dreams,” has the exact type of beat I want to hear 03 Greedo on: a sentimental piano riff and some drums. “Lost Drakeo, lost Ketchy, lost Nipsey, if I ever run into their killers don’t tempt me,” he says. Kamaiyah handles the chorus perfectly, bringing forth visions of her and Greedo in a purple Lambo, disappearing into the California sunset.
Out of all the rappers in Stockton right now, EBK Bckdoe has the best ear for beats. He brings the brash, off-kilter Stockton style to sample-heavy production straight out of the early 2000s. On “Ask Curt,” EBK raps over a sped-up chipmunk sounding sample of the type every self-respecting artist rapped over 15 years ago.
The soulful production makes EBK sound sweeter than he really is, as he vents to his side-piece about how difficult it is to be him. The bass is insanely blown-out and distorted, guaranteeing the track will pass any whip test from Stockton to Modesto.
Luh Tyler has thoroughly beat the One Hit Wonder allegations. The 17-year-old rapper has proved to be more than an age-based gimmick by sticking to age-old topics like smoking weed, driving nice cars and chasing girls. On “Change My Wayz,” Tyler is realizing that self-esteem comes from doing esteemable acts, and that he likely won’t feel good about himself in the future if he keeps leading girls on until they sleep with him.
“She done’ showed me all the love and still I did her wrong,” he says. However, anyone with two ears can tell this admission is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Tyler is old enough to know better but too young to really make any lasting changes in this department. He’s too young, rich and upwardly mobile to not act a little selfish here and there.
I wouldn’t be surprised if one day we see Tyler getting aired out by some girl on Instagram for doing her dirty. Or maybe he’ll change his ways. The video shows Tyler in various *classic* New York spots, like Times Square or the subway station, while he gets off an innumerable amount of fits.
We rely on your support to keep POW alive. Please take a second to donate on Patreon!
