9.15.2023

Video: $NOT – “Cruel World“

The South Florida Rhymer Returns With a Hauntingly Defiant Banger As He Prepares For His New Album, Coming Soon

Critical Praise:

“At a certain point, all these moments added up to one undeniable fact: $NOT is a legitimate star who makes music that will find its way to the ears of millions, no matter where it’s shared on the internet.” – Complex

“The rapper and singer has been one of hip-hop’s most exciting, charismatic and likable young guns for nearly three years now…But musically, Ethereal may be his finest chapter yet: alternately dark and light, dreamy and menacing, dismissive and romantic, evoking angels, demons, winter and summertime.” – GQ

“He’s well on his way to being one of the next independent rappers to make a mainstream splash… $NOT’s got a very particular kind of charisma, and one single at a time, everything’s clicking.” – Pigeons & Planes

“Over the years, $not has evolved from an experimental ASMR-type artist to a distinctive lyricist who’s destined to lead the new wave of the SoundCloud era.” – Miami New Times (cover story)

“Beautiful Havoc presents a spectrum of ever-changing moods, reflecting the binary suggested by its title. The tone is mostly relaxed and casually charismatic, anchored by $NOT’s precise and direct delivery, but there’s a creeping negativity on the margins…There’s enough havoc in the world already—$NOT finds time in his music for more elegant things.” – Pitchfork

“$NOT’s ‘Pressure’ Reveals a Changing Tide in Hip Hop…His nonchalant flow and reserved style does not diminish his dark, heavy lyrics and straight-to-it delivery.” – Teen Vogue

The Video:

Processing his pain from behind his ever-present hoodie, $NOT is an introverted star in an extroverted genre. The rapper explains the wisdom behind his solitary philosophy in “Cruel World,” his defiant new video single. Delivering low-talking rhymes over minor-key piano arpeggios and haunting organs that would be right at home in a horror film, $NOT chronicles his pet peeves, ranging from short-lived relationships to fake friendships to shameless clout-seeking. On the hook, the 25-year-old finally can’t take it anymore, repeating the word “NO!” to make himself clear.

Taking inspiration from the R-Rated sleaze of Wild Things and the vigilante vibes of Dexter, “Cruel World” posits $NOT as a new kind of Florida man. Undaunted by the swampy weather, $NOT rocks a hoodie and puffer vest as he heads to the Everglades for some Sunshine State shenanigans, including airboat excursions, gator wrangling, and more. “Cruel World” was directed by Chris Villa, who directed A$AP Rocky’s “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” and Ice Spice’s “In Ha Mood” videos. His first new video since the psychedelic “Easter Pink,” “Cruel World” will appear on $NOT’s next album, the anticipated follow-up to 2022’s Ethereal, coming soon via 300 Ent.

$NOT has had a busy 2023, spending months on the road during the 33-date “Get Busy Or Die Tour.” With support from Night Lovell, Eem Triplin, and DC The Don, the fast-selling “Get Busy Or Die Tour” connected $NOT with fans from coast to coast – selling over 45,000 tickets. Last February, $NOT shared his project Ethereal via 300 Ent., with creative direction by AWGE and appearances from A$AP Rocky, Trippie Redd, Joey Bada$$, Juicy J. The AWGE-directed video for the single “Doja” ft. A$AP Rocky reached YouTube’s trending chart after the audio generated over 10 million combined streams in its first week of release. Powered by a memorable hook that caught the attention of Doja Cat herself, “Doja” premiered at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming $NOT’s first Hot 100 hit as a lead artist. Recently, A$AP Rocky brought $NOT out during his headlining set at Rolling Loud Miami to perform the single. Buoyed by Ethereal, and previous hits including “Mean” (GOLD), “Gosha” (PLATINUM), “Tell Em” (2x PLATINUM) and “Beretta” (GOLD), $NOT’s catalog has generated over 2 billion total streams across platforms.

With a new album on the way–details to come soon–keep an eye on the young rapper as he continues to evolve into an icon on his own uncompromising terms.

Stream “Cruel World”: https://snot.lnk.to/cruelworld

Watch “Cruel World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQrccbjQbP4