The Break Presents: OMB Peezy

OMB Peezy was 12 when he recorded his first rap song, but he's wanted to be a writer since he was little. "I always knew I was gon' either write books or be a rapper," he tells XXL. "I just had my focus on writing." That same year, he moved from Mobile, Ala. to Sacramento, Calif. with his mother and brother. When he started rapping in Mobile, he used to keep it to himself, but he'd play a game with his brother and cousin where they'd run to different corners of the house to write raps and then come back and see whose was best.

Peezy had something of a squeaky voice as a youngin, and at one point, one of his boys questioned whether he'd keep rapping if he sounded like that and made fun of him for biting Boosie. But he carried on unbothered.

He's a fan of Harris County, Ga. producer Drum Dummie, and one day in late 2016, he was searching for the producer's beats on YouTube when he found what would become "Lay Down." He laid the hook before he laid the chorus, posted it on YouTube and watched it steadily gain attention, but had no idea it was the exact same beat as another buzzing song—Cleveland rapper Lil Cray's "Indicted," released months before Peezy's track. After some paperwork, says Peezy, the beat is officially his.

Ever since, his career's been taking off. He signed with E-40 after Sick Wid It artist Nef The Pharaoh played his music for 40 Water, and parlayed that into a deal with 300 Entertainment. He's released a barrage of new songs over the past couple months, and later this year, he'll release his official debut project, Loyalty Over Love, featuring production from Drum Dummie, Architekz, Ear Drummers, Helluva and more. He's also got a tape with Nef called 600 Degreez they're sitting on.

But first, he's giving fans a little appetizer with his Humble Beginnings EP produced entirely by Cardo. The six-song set will drop in October and feature YoungBoy Never Broke Again and SOB x RBE's Yhung T.O. For now, read up on his influences, his goals and more below.

Name: OMB Peezy

Age: 20

Hometown: Mobile, Ala.

I grew up listening to: "C-Nile, The Last Mr. Bigg, a whole lot of Boosie, Trill Fam. My momma used to listen to a lot of Coldplay, Kings of Leon, shit like that on the way to school. I listened to a lot of gospel music coming up too. A lot of Kirk Franklin."

My style's been compared to: "Lil Boosie, NBA YoungBoy. Somebody said I sound like Fetty Wap on 'Lay Down.' Some people say I sound like Lil Snupe."

Most people don't know: "I'm 6 foot 1. I'm not 5 foot 5. I'm not short. People always see me and be like, 'I did not know you were that tall.' I'm not little. I'm tall, dark skin and slither. The nigga your mama told you about when you was a lil' baby."

My standout moment to date: "Every concert is better than the last. Just performing in general."

My goal in hip-hop is: "I want to change hip-hop back to hip-hop, not just mumble rap. Niggas don't even be talking about shit. Niggas don't be saying nothing. A video man could be trying to edit your video and don't know what the fuck to do with the concept because you ain't even talking about shit. Niggas just gon' move the cameras a couple times and point it to the sky and put some effects on that muthafucka and your video done in two days.

"I'm trying to change it back to some shit that means something. Muthafuckas' grandma is sick and shit, niggas got people dying and shit, niggas don't want to listen to no mumble rap."

I'm going to be the next: "Phenomenon. Next superstar. Next Mike Tyson... nah, ’cause I'm not biting shit. I'ma be the next Muhammad Ali without beating niggas' asses. The next big thing."

Follow OMB Peezy on Twitter, Instagram and SoundCloud.

Standouts: "Lay Down" (Produced by Drum Dummie)

"When I Was Down" (Produced by DTB)

"Loyalty Over Love" (Produced by Architekz)

"Try Sumthin" Featuring Yhung T.O (Produced by DTB)

"The Hard Way" (Produced by DTB)

See New Music Releases for September 2017