Video: RJMrLA – “Rat Race”
L.A.’s Most Underrated Rhymer Shines a Light on Life on the Block in this HYPEBEAST-Premiered Video
6.24.2019
Critical Praise:
“RJ has built a huge regional following in the West Coast, perfecting his hard uncompromising Cali street sound on this year’s OMMIO 3.“ – HotNewHipHop
“RJ looks like the next one up in the wild, wild West. Pay attention.” – XXL
“The Los Angeles rapper first captured his city with a slew of local hits—the biggest being his 2015 single “Get Rich”—that proved his mettle without a major label or blog cosigns. Now, with steady assists from his 400 Summers label heads YG and DJ Mustard he uses MrLA to expand his sound, replacing some of the street-acclaimed grittiness of his O.M.M.I.O. mixtapes with radio-ready selections.” – Pitchfork
The Video:
With a knack for organizing his thoughts into sharp-tongued slappers, RJMrLA has flows for days. Giving a cinematic look into his life in South Central, RJ shares “Rat Race,” his new video. An airy and vibey summer jam, “Rat Race” focuses on the practical misconception of living a life of luxury. When you’re chasing fame, you are embracing the lifestyle and looking the part of a star : “Dress up for fame to compete with the stars/It’s a rat race,” croons RJ on the hook. In the video, RJ shows us a day in the life in the projects from his point of view, as he rhymes on the roof, hits up a corner store, and meets with his homie and his homie’s model girlfriend as they exchange currency in the streets. Premiered by HYPEBEAST, and with audio premiered last week by HotNewHipHop, “Rat Race” is the latest preview of On God,RJMrLA’s upcoming debut album, following the personal and revealing “Apartment,” premiered by Complex earlier in June.
Says RJ, “The concept of the video was to capture a glimpse of an every day struggle to make ends meet.”
His debut album after several successful mixtapes, including his popular OMMIO (On My Momma I’m On) series and 2017’s Pitchfork-praised The Ghetto, a collaboration with Mustard, On God is a mature effort from RJ, keeping the breakneck flow and propulsive L.A. instrumentals of his old style and foregoing party anthems for heavier thematic content. Featuring production from DJ Swish, who’s made hits for YG and Post Malone, and appearances from Schoolboy Q, Young Thug, Snoop Dogg, Mozzy, Rich the Kid, Ty Dolla $ign, The Game, and OT Genasis, On God releases this summer via EMPIRE.
Watch “Rat Race”: https://youtu.be/vvBkKhWHGLc
Buy/Stream “Rat Race”: https://empire.lnk.to/RatRace
Check out the HYPEBEAST premiere: https://hypebeast.com/2019/6/rj-rat-race-music-video-stream
Please contact Michelle or Erin for more info.
The Background:
Firmly rooted in the Los Angeles community, RJMrLA is intimately familiar with the hustle. Born and raised in South Central, RJ’s father was a businessman with ties to the Westside Pirus and his grandfather a bootlegger, exposing a young RJ to the grind early on. At the age of nine, RJ began channeling his surroundings into raps after his mother put him on to Snoop Dogg. Moving to Atlanta post-high school, RJ became deeply embedded in the city’s trap culture. Upon his return to Los Angeles in 2013, RJ caught the attention of DJ Mustard, receiving an invitation to join his 10 Summers crew. RJ appeared on several tracks on DJ Mustard’s 10 Summers mixtape series and launched his solo career with the OMMIO (On My Mama I’m On) mixtape series, garnering critical acclaim from the FADER, LA Weekly, XXL, and more. Collaborating with the likes of The Game, Nipsey Hussle, Jeezy, and Ty Dolla $ign, RJ has painted name across the rap game. With his 2017 projects MrLA and The Ghetto, his full-length collaboration with DJ Mustard, RJ is making moves to place himself in the ranks of LA’s finest.
Links:
twitter | instagram | soundcloud
Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/rj/
“Rat Race”: https://empire.lnk.to/RatRace // https://youtu.be/vvBkKhWHGLc
“Apartment”: https://youtu.be/CoV4LGX_uWM
The Ghetto (w/ Mustard): http://smarturl.it/TheGhetto
Mr. LA: https://empire.lnk.to/MrLA