Make way for YoDogg. The Southside Atlanta native is one of my favorite artists that I’ve discovered this year. Dogg’s delivery is blunt and bold, and he spits with confidence; his lines depict the huge chip on his shoulder. A chip enlarged after the death of one of his biggest fans, who also happened to be his uncle. YoDogg doesn’t shy away from using the pain as fuel to go even harder, and he raps about it on “Fonyuns”, saying “When I lost unc left my heart torn. Okay, I had to level up.”
He dropped his latest compilation, titled Raised By Wolves this summer. Over the past few months, the rapper-producer duo of YoDogg and Cardo have been on a run of releasing music videos. The two tapped Virginia-born, New York-based director Aaron Dee (known for his work with rising VA-bred lyricists Al-Doms and Jesse Boone) for each one. First came “Baccwood”, then “Parlay”, and a week ago visuals for “Fonyuns” were released.
“Fonyuns” shows YoDogg and Cardo as criminal masterminds, as they dawn disguises and look for locations on a map. In another scene, the rapper is seen working out by himself in a room, and his execution of bench presses could act as a metaphor for how he uses music to get things off of his chest, or how he continuously presses through everything that may weigh on him in life. Cardo’s production is enticing, with a kick that instantly makes any head bob the whole way through. It provides a perfect home for YoDogg‘s southern delivery.
Watch the film-like visual here, then check out the live performance of “All Wolves Go To Heaven”. After tuning into those two pieces, I encourage you to go stream the rest of Raised By Wolves.