5.31.2024
Video: 1Up Tee – “I Did It”
Building Momentum In Detroit’s Westside and Beyond, The Rising Rapper Proves That Hard Work Pays Off In His Latest Video
Critical Praise:
“As the public only becomes more (rightfully) skeptical of media and celebrity, there’s constant demand for artists who keep it real. Enter 1Up Tee: A fresh-faced Detroit rapper currently blowing up off a string of concept singles that get at the contradictions and unrealistic expectations of a social media-enabled society.” – Pitchfork
“1Up Tee is really a sociologist at heart. Dissecting what’s going on around him, with a scientific level of curiosity and precision, gives his music a really vibrant honesty.” – Passion of the Weiss
The Video:
Blessed with wisdom beyond his years, Detroit’s 1UpTee makes music with a message. Hoping to motivate others by sharing the story of his success, he shares “I Did It,” his new single and video. Over thudding bass and soulful background vocals, Tee outlines how authenticity helped him break through in the rap game: “I did it without dissing / Without faking the image / Got rich without drizz / Without being locked up / Being smart, not dumb.” In the video, directed by Laced Visuals, Tee drives around his hometown in a Mercedes, showing off the fruits of his success not to be flashy but to be an example for his community that life can be different. “I Did It” follows the recent single, “Young N***s,” featuring a video by No More Heroes, and “Accountability Pt. 2,” the sequel to his breakout hit, which inspired a memorable, ASL-interpreted From The Block performance.
“I Did It” is the latest step in 1UpTee’s impressive rise over the last few months. Inspired by local rappers by Babyface Ray and Payroll Giovanni, Tee started rapping when he was a teenager, writing about the things he observed in his hometown, and eventually teaming up with close friend D Hen 1UP to release the mixtape Y.N.A. in 2022. 1Up Tee capitalized on his hometown momentum with the single “Accountability,” released in 2022, framed as a conversation between two sides of himself–one side lamenting his lack of success so far, and the other side telling him to shape up and get to work. Late last year, Tee’s profile began to cross out of the Great Lakes region and make waves nationwide: the catalyst was “Good Karma (Freestyle),” an examination about why bad things happen to real ones, which became a viral On The Radar performance and generated over 4 million on-demand streams. He kept the karma going with January’s “Lose Lose,” which earned attention from Pitchfork, racking up over 1.8 million streams in its first six weeks. His recent inclusion on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Hip Hop playlist and a significant uptick in TikTok followers highlight his growing influence.
With influential tastemakers like Pitchfork, On The Radar, and Spotify’s Fresh Finds in his corner, along with strong co-signs from from Meek Mill, athletes like Damian Lillard and Marshawn Lynch, and fellow Detroiters including Babyface Ray, Dej Loaf, and BabyTron, 1Up Tee is ready to become the next rapper from the Motor City to become a breakout star. Stay tuned for much more.
Watch “I Did It”: https://youtu.be/DTZG5mfu_fE
Stream “I Did It”: https://1uptee.ffm.to/ididit
Please contact Michelle or Annjie for more info.
Links:
instagram | spotify | youtube | tiktok
“Accountability Pt. 2”: https://1uptee.ffm.to/accountabilitypt2 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IQPSs5KqiM&feature=youtu.be
“Lose Lose”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF6Nv6wWJXI
“Good Karma” (On The Radar Freestyle): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raFDa31IO7k
“Good Karma”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqo4EfTA-sA
“Accountability”: https://youtu.be/XiU4RGapq6s?si=p5P-DwuVCxI5KLv7