“As the public only becomes more (rightfully) skeptical of media and celebrity, thereās 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.”Ā – Pitchfork
“1Up Tee is really a sociologist at heart. Dissecting whatās going on around him, with a scientific level of curiosity and precision, gives his music a really vibrant honesty.” – Passion of the Weiss
Unapologetically keeping it real, 1Up Tee is making the most of every moment as his rap career reaches new heights. Today, the Westside Detroit artist connects with Chicago riser Star Bandzfor āClick,ā his new single. Over jazz-inspired production, Tee looks back at his upbringing on the track, reflecting on his ability to beat the odds and make something of himself: āI turn my hundred bands to a hundred Mās, yeah yeah I get the money.ā Star Bandz offers a fiery verse, dropping cold-hearted bars and promising to only rise higher as she grows: āI got paper cuts from steady counting up these sheets / Iām ābout to skies be the limit, Iām tryna go where I canāt reach.āĀ In the “Click” video, Tee and Star Bankz link up in Chicago, posting up on Michigan Ave and near Lake Michigan where they throw stacks of hundreds and show off their jewelry.
āClickā follows recent singles āI Did Itā, āYoung N***s,ā featuring a video by No More Heroes, and āAccountability Pt. 2,ā the sequel to his breakout hit, which inspired a memorable, ASL-interpreted From The Block performance.
āClickā is the latest step in 1Up Teeās 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 theĀ things he observed in his hometown, and eventually teaming up with close friendĀ D Hen 1UPĀ to release the mixtapeĀ Y.N.A.Ā in 2022.Ā 1Up Tee capitalized on his hometown momentum with the single “Accountability,” released in 2022, framed as a conversation between two sides of himselfāone side lamenting his lack of success so far, and the other side telling him to shape up and get to work.Ā 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 fromĀ Pitchfork, racking up over 1.8 million streams in its first six weeks.Ā His recent inclusion on Spotifyās 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 fromĀ 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.
Stream “Click” ft. Star Bandz:Ā https://1upteexstarbandz.lnk.to/Click
Watch āClickā ft. Star Bandz:Ā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMmGWxn4CqI
Please contact MichelleĀ or Annjie for more info.
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āClickā ft. Star Bandz:Ā https://1upteexstarbandz.lnk.to/ClickĀ /Ā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMmGWxn4CqI
āButt Nakedā: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YfLQLawC78
“Accountability Pt. 2”:Ā https://1uptee.ffm.to/accountabilitypt2Ā /Ā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IQPSs5KqiM&feature=youtu.be
“Lose Lose”:Ā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF6Nv6wWJXI
“Good Karma” (On The Radar Freestyle):Ā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raFDa31IO7k
“Good Karma”:Ā https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqo4EfTA-sA
“Accountability”:Ā https://youtu.be/XiU4RGapq6s?si=p5P-DwuVCxI5KLv7