According to legend, the Chinese Zodiac calendar was created around 4000 B.c. by Ta Nao, an esteemed minister of Emperor Huang Ti. 6000 years later, I am hereby proposing that we forget this year as the Year of the Tiger – because all signs point to 2022 being the year of the Drelli. At this point, Drelli is far from being a ‘deep cut’ – we’ve seen the Minneapolis rapper featured on the LL pages for years, so what makes his newest single “Seven” any different from “Fancy” with Khary or “Yayaya” with AJRadico? Nothing, it’s another fucking banger from one of hip-hop’s most consistent burgeoning acts, and consistency is a skill many talk about but few possess. If you haven’t listened to “Seven” yet, then allow me to paint you a word picture. Drelli’s rapping is laid-back yet instilled with his signature electric energy that could turn him reading the phone book into a strong SOTY contender for me. The mix is bouncy and 808-laden, colonized equally by delicate string plucks and glitchy instrumentation that easily make “Seven” an instant add to your weekly rotation. If you’re a fan of artists like Mike Dimes, Al-Doms, or JID, Drelli is a perfect artist to dive into before your summertime playlist becomes obsolete for another nine months. So stop reading, put on “Seven”, and thank me later.
Check out Drelli’s new single “Seven” below: