Cutting through the noise with his velvety baritone, 19-year-old rhymer Rich Amiri has stardom in his sights. Recruiting Lil Tecca to join him for a percolating banger, Amiri shares “Poppin.” “Poppin” is the first glimpse of EVOLUTION, Amiri’s upcoming project, and the follow-up to his 2022 debut release For The Better.
Produced by Rio Leyva, Thankyouwill, Paryo, and Taz Taylor of Internet Money, the new song is an intricate bit of pluggnb, packed to the gills with enticing sonic details and complex harmonies. Slickly sliding through the mix, Amiri unfurls stop-starting bars about his high-end tastes and humble brags about his rising star status: “I ain’t popular, but I’m kinda poppin,” he belts during the chorus. Lil Tecca is an ideal foil for Amiri, spinning his signature conversational melodies with a nonchalant charm. In the video, Tecca and Amiri spend an eventful night in Tecca’s hometown of NYC, complete with rooftop hangs and dimly lit club activities.
“Poppin” is the first new single of the year by the busy, Boston-born rapper. Capitalizing on the momentum from his 2021 hit “Never Fail,” which recently surpassed 3 million streams on SoundCloud, Amiri shared a consistent stream of underground hits. In June, the rapper shared For The Better, his debut project. Featuring appearances from SSGKobe, Summrs, and others, the 8-song effort showcased Amiri’s beyond-his-years maturity and sharp songwriting, while Internet Money helped craft a soundscape that suited his inimitable voice. For the rest of the year, Amiri kept busy with a series of singles and videos, including the chest-thumping, Cxdy & Taz Taylor-produced single “Can’t Die,” the irresistible “Dirty Money,” the rage-heavy two-pack “ruthless” and “trouble,” and most recently, the soulful slow jam “Keep All That.”
With the respect of his peers, co-signs from heavy hitters like Internet Money and Lil Tecca, and a fast-growing fanbase, Rich Amiri prepares to rise to mainstream recognition. Stay tuned for much more from the rising star in the near future.
© 2023, Seth “Digital Crates” Barmash. All rights reserved.
