At first, the screamed outbursts of 2sdxrt3all—somehow, pronounced “Dirtball”—will crack you up. The Newman, Georgia, rapper is constantly switching between a somewhat regular, clenched-jaw flow and shouted ad libs that makes it feel two minds are trapped in his body. I had a hard time taking it seriously, until I listened to his recent mixtape Gotta Be Geeked. There, the bit feels less like the goofy gimmick of the week and more like a purposeful tactic to deepen the gloom. For example on “Pain Feel,” one of a handful of standouts, his hollering feels closer to the wounded roars of YoungBoy than the moshpit chants of Sheck Wes. Don’t get me wrong, though—I still can’t help but laugh at it sometimes (especially when he yells, “Nigga, oatmeal”). But part of the appeal is that it’s silly and deadass at the same time.
With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.
Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from 2sdxrt3all and more on our Spotify playlist.
