I absolutely love listening to the booming Florida rap scene and all of the unique artists that share similar influences and styles throughout the various different projects and singles that are released. HotBoii has been an artist that has constantly popped up all over my social media feeds and I never really took the time to tune in and pay attention for whatever unexplainable reason. Today, while scrolling through my Twitter account, a short clip of the Orlando singer/rapper kept popping up and it gave me no choice but to take a moment to listen. I’m so happy I did as well because it truly shows how much I’ve been missing out on. Not only does his voice have a naturally harmonious sound to it, but he also has a very reminiscent delivery to some of his other Florida counterparts that gives a new spin to the interesting Florida style that has been taking the country by storm recently.
HotBoii just released his album Kut Da Fan On and although I haven’t listened to it all the way through yet considering I was sleeping on him, I can’t wait to give it a spin and see even more artistry that I was missing out on due to my obvious ignorance. One of the standout tracks on the project was undoubtedly “Rockout” and it’s the latest song to receive a music video treatment as well. For those of you who have never heard this track, the production begins with some expressive guitar riffs that set a somewhat dramatic tone before some more characteristic trap percussion and deep, succinct 808s speed up the tempo slightly. Leading up to the first hook, HotBoii hums along and adds in some ad-libs that show off his autotuned voice and prepare the listener just a bit for what to expect when the beat actually drops. While I’m a big fan of this instrumental, it’s no surprise that HotBoii stole the show. His personality just screams through the stylistic choices within his words and he just sounds confident and comfortable in every single one of his hits.
As he sings, the pitch of his voice rises and lowers in a consistently appealing manner as if it’s on a wild rollercoaster ride, and he even takes certain moments to really push his vocals to their limits and hits notes that are much higher than what’s expected of him. A lot of times when artists sing similar to the way HotBoii does, they sort of get stuck in a cycle that gets repetitive and almost annoying. Luckily, HotBoii doesn’t fall into this category and he strays from the regularity that could ultimately negatively impact this song. He does so by remaining vigilant of his deliveries and switches them up every four to six bars, making sure that no one could possibly get bored while listening to this hit.
The new wave of Florida artists clearly takes influence from other major Rap markets in the country with their heavy detail of violence, guns, and drugs. While HotBoii does mention some of these things, he strays from the pack by getting a little more introspective and showing some emotions within his lyrics. Some of these unique topics that he discusses include getting his heart broken so he shields himself from love, people trying to steal the diamonds and jewelry he boasts about, and ultimately just wanting to be remembered in a positive, legendary fashion.
As for the Video, he teamed up with his trusted videographer DrewFilmedIt to make another movie. While his visuals typically are filmed in a similar manner just in different settings, this one takes its own path in a way. Most likely due to the fact that this was probably filmed during quarantine, HotBoii is occupying his time at home alone for the most part. He does have a couple of friends vibing out with him around the house, but it’s nowhere near the mob of people he has brought out in other videos. He takes us on a tour of his beautiful Florida home, going from the garage, to the kitchen, to the bedroom, to the foyer, and all over the rest of his house.
As he takes viewers on this journey throughout his estate, he shows off his chains, piles of money, his abundance of guns, and smokes blunts with his friends as he spits his lyrics. One of the settings takes us outside into his backyard as he dances around right next to his pool under the glistening rays of sunshine, showing that he definitely lives in a setting that’s as close to paradise as possible. A reoccurring theme that happens a few times throughout is him turning on the fan, which is clearly a reference to the title of his recent album which I thought was a nice touch. Even during quarantine, it’s clear that HotBoii is living his best life and just enjoying the things that music has gotten him, so that’s always fun to see in his music videos.
Once again, I definitely have a lot of research and catching up to do when it comes to HotBoii’s music. I still don’t have any idea whatsoever as to why I was sleeping on him, but this was the wakeup call I needed to tune in and pay attention to the major moves he’s been making. He’s got everything it takes to be a star, from the look with his antenna looking hairstyle to his exceptional sound that is unlike not only any of his Florida counterparts but anyone else making music all across the country. He just sounds honest and authentic as he sings, and the words he speaks don’t come off as if they’re trying to exaggerate the real story. I’m not entirely sure how massive or successful HotBoii is within the industry at this point in all honesty, but all I know is the sky’s the limit for him. I can’t wait to continue following the moves he’s making and see where they lead him, and if he continues making music and releasing videos as clean as “Rockout”, he’s going to be a household name in no time. Peep his latest visual below and be sure to check out his new album Kut Da Fan On if you like what you hear.