Follow @Dretussin
I’ll be the first to say that I find it dangerous and often uninteresting that much of hip-hop’s current output feels regurgitated and derivative of Atlanta’s pervasive trap sound. I’m one who often laments the disappearance of region-based sonic identity. Conversely I’m also a huge fan of Bay Area acts such as Larry June, RAMIREZ, Kamaiyah, NDGO Sosa, Pluto Mars and even Nef The Pharaoh who find much of their musical influence and inspiration in southern cities such as Memphis, New Orleans and of course the ATL.
With that said, allow me to introduce you to Dretussin, a 19 year old rapper who reps the South Bay and can often be seen in the company of Another Party’s Kawasaki Papi. I first saw the rapper’s name months back on an IG flyer promoting one of the many Second Saturday parties on 15th Street in Oakland. I was reluctant to give the kid a chance because of the aforementioned reasons. Fast forward to Perfect Your Craft’s sold-out May 26th showcase at the New Parish, a scrawny, shirt-less kid takes the stage for a brief unannounced set and he had the building turnt tf up! Call me a sucker for a strong live-performance, but it left an impression that led me to pen this long-winded introduction to his latest release “Be Like Me”, which alone is not his strongest statement as an artist, (for that look no further than the Nate produced “Up Now“) but has that head knodding quality that first made me take notice.
To get better acquainted with Dretussin listen to his latest mixtape New Messiah, executively produced by Nate and hosted by Kawasaki Papi. The project features Dretussin’s mushed-mouth brand of melodic and catchy trap offerings that discuss a lifestyle full of crime, stunting and aspirations to live more lavishly. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from this kid in the future.
