Without subtlety, the rise of New York drill has been one of 2020’s most important musical headlines. Birthing numerous stars and bridging the gap between sounds, it’s an undeniable style, and one that seems to adopt new variations with each coming day. On one hand, you have more melodic brands of drill, where hard-nosed production meets melodic deliveries and infectious vocal runs. On the other hand, you have the more rap-focused brands of drill, where the energy around the production guides the lyrics, and each new release is a chance to storytell about what’s happening in New York City right now.
Somewhere in the middle, you have Rocko Ballin. Rising into his role as a favorite up-and-comer in his city, Rocko Ballin’s style meshes all of the above in a refreshing new way, bolted down by earworm hooks like that in his latest offering, “Time Up.”
Without missing a beat, the “Time Up” chorus is a sign of undeniable promise. The energy is there, the sound is there, and Rocko’s captivating personality is the component that fuses everything together. He’s a capsule of several aspects that make New York’s sound one of the best right now, and “Time Up” is perhaps the best display of such to date.
Rocko Ballin is quickly elevating with every new release, so don’t get left behind. Get hip to one of NYC’s finest and check out “Time Up” at the link below:
Produced by A Lau x Matt Marvin
Directed by @nothingstrnge