It’s no secret that the South reigns supreme in hip hop. With Atlanta as its focal point, the South has given birth to some of hip hop’s major players of the last decade. While many have laid claim to that throne, there are a chosen few who the streets unanimously hail as strong contenders for the crown. East side Atlanta-based heavy spitter and affiliate of fellow Atlanta rapper Future’s Freebandz crew, Young Scooter has risen to be one of that chosen few. And with his latest mixtape 80’s Baby, featuring heavyweights like Waka Flocka, Flame, and 2 Chainz, Young Scooter is poised to take his rightful place as the crowned prince of trap music.
Young Scooter ups the ante with his latest mixtape, 80’s Baby. Paying homage to the era of his birth, Young Scooter enlisted the prowess of producer Zaytoven (Nicki Minaj, Usher, Young Jeezy) and production team Chophouze (Jadakiss, 2 Chainz) to create the sonic bed for the lion’s share of his new offering. 80’s Baby finds him shifting gears on a familiar musical highway. The mixtape also unveils Young Scooter’s new vainglorious concept in trap: count music. Aligning his unique cadence with tailor made trap drums, count music is less of a contrivance and more of a natural progression. “Count music is money making music. You can count money and hustle to it.” The lead single, “Bag It Up” featuring Future and Casino, is a swag injected barrage of drums and synths that succinctly exemplifies his infectious musical invention. “If you’re in the streets, it’s self explanatory,” he says. “But you can bag and tag anything. Even clothes.” The song is already a hit at more than 30 radio stations across the country.
Def Jam recording artist 2 Chainz drops a heavy verse on the dystopic anthem “Life Support.” A first person report on the dire state of affairs in the hood, the song is a testament to the trials of everyday survival. But while the song rings with a sense of defeat, Young Scooter offers a ray of light in the chorus. The head nodding cut “Hector” picks up where “Columbia” left off, while “My Kids” is a bass heavy tribute and testament to his dedication to fatherhood. Waka Flocka Flame makes a special appearance on “Ghetto Gold,” a metaphor with an allusion to Young Scooter’s past street hustles.
After taking on an unexpected life of it’s own, Scooter’s mixtape 80’s Baby will be re-packaged with four bonus tracks featuring Akon, Boosie, Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug and others and available for purchase on December 2nd.
These days, Young Scooter’s hustles involve reinforcing his Black Migo Gang brand and working on his highly anticipated debut album, Count Music. “My stock rises every time I drop a mixtape,” he says of his elevating status as a hip hop heavyweight. With his Twitter and Instagram followings at well over 200k each and a major label bidding war on his hands, it’s safe to say that he’s on the right track. Plans for that next level include a project with Future as well as his upcoming Count Up clothing line. And while Young Scooter has his head in the clouds, he’s got his ear to the streets and his mind on his money. For him, haters and detractors are simply part of the game. He remains unshakably confident in his rising stock as a recording artist, his unique gift as a lyricist, and his lofty future in hip hop.
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