11.27.23
Video: Wizz Havinn – “Life’s A Gamble“
The Tallahassee Neighborhood Hero Only Plays To Win in the Colorful Video From His New Mixtape, Super Wizz, Out Now via Open Shift Distribution
Critical Praise:
“…it’s straight-up Southern fly shit. It’s the type of song that I can imagine becoming the motivational soundtrack for SEC defensive lineman, with emphasis on this line: ‘I make music that can make you get yo’ own money.’ The soul may be old, but the mood is timeless.” – Pitchfork
“Wizz’s Havinn’s adlibs sound like they were recorded in a cave to maximize the amount of echo he gets. It rules, and it’s probably the reason why my own inner thoughts have started to come with a little bit of echo…It’s a good snapshot of what makes Florida’s rap scene so exciting right now: They’re pulling in influences from all over the country and from eras of rap without losing any of their homegrown identity.” – The FADER
“Wizz Havinn’s Mr. Too Sticky dropped a few days before Christmas, but I’ll call it the first good rap tape of 2023. On ‘C Class,’ the Tallahassee rapper sounds like he’s having a conversation with his seat leaned all the way back.” – The FADER
The Video:
Staying cool, calm, and collected as he navigates the rap game, Wizz Havinn always knows when to hold ’em. Confidently rolling the dice on his ability to make it out of his hood, Wizz explores his mindset in “Life’s A Gamble,” his new music video. Built on an aqueous flute riff and gently rollicking drums, “Life’s A Gamble” is a sterling example of Wizz’s laid-back, yet motivational style, as he makes clear what sets him apart from an average joe: “They’re like, damn Wizz your motherf*ckin’ wrist crazy/I took a lot of L’s but these n****s think that sh*t gravy/I’m really havin’ sauce, n****, too wavy/That lil’ n**** ain’t winnin’ cause he’s too lazy.” In the video, directed by DayDream Visuals, Wizz hosts his squad in the Tallahassee swamp, as the visuals reflect the comic book aesthetic he cultivated on his new mixtape Super Wizz.
A kinetic collection of hustle-hard hood anthems, the 18-track Super Wizz is a sterling example of the new Tallahassee sound (“Tallahassee has made a major stamp on the world,” says Wizz. “We came out with a sound that nobody’s ever heard.”). Wizz is known for his laid back flow, which helped define the sound of the rising Tallahassee scene, but his blasé demeanor belies his superhuman focus on stacking paper. In his own words, Wizz makes music that “makes you want to get your own money”–he learned to rhyme to escape his circumstances, and he hopes to be a shining example for others in his community. The new mixtape is home to singles like “Eminem,” a collaboration with the similarly soft-spoken Detroit rapper Veeze, “Real Drip” ft. YTB Fatt, and the Ddot Freezing-produced “Check Me.” Featuring additional appearances from Jeezy, Wizz’s fellow master motivator, and Lil Double 0, Super Wizz is available everywhere via Open Shift Distribution.
With his new project under his belt and much more to come, Wizz Havinn’s hood heroics are just beginning.
Watch “Life’s A Gamble”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXPinmjerFA
Stream Super Wizz: https://openshiftdistro.lnk.to/SuperWizz
Super Wizz tracklist:
1. One Of One
2. Check Me (Prod. by Ddot Freezing)
3. Not Worthy feat. Jeezy
4. Kill Switch
5. One Thing ft. Lil Double 0
6. Money Fein
7. Re Up
8. Residue
9. Eminem feat. Veeze
10. Make It Work
11. Life’s A Gamble
12. Flaw
13. Real Drip feat. YTB Fatt
14. SRT
15. In Advance
16. New Wave
17. Smackdown
18. Last Song
Please contact Michelle or Annjie for more info.
The Background:
First emerging in 2022 with songs like the Pitchfork-praised “Water Running,” Tallahassee native Wizz Havinn immediately made an impact with his flow, which sits slightly behind the beat, ending each line with an upward inflection that makes him sound surprised by his own high-quality flexes. His flow inspired the sound of fellow Tallahassee breakout Luh Tyler, who has credited Wizz as a direct influence. In December 2022, Wizz garnered critical acclaim for his debut project Mr. Too Sticky, earning praise from Pitchfork and The FADER, who called Mr. Too Sticky, “the first good rap tape of 2023.” The tape gave a permanent home to street hits like “Mode,” which generated over 1.8 million views on YouTube, “Not Worthy,” and the FADER-acclaimed “C-Class.” When not rhyming, the young father enjoys fishing in the Panhandle’s abundant swamps and cooking up meals in his kitchen. The rapper just shared his new album Super Wizz, with guest appearances from Jeezy, YTB Fatt, and more.
Links:
instagram | youtube | tiktok | spotify | apple
“Life’s A Gamble”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXPinmjerFA
Super Wizz: https://openshiftdistro.lnk.to/SuperWizz
“Eminem” ft. Veeze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMDI6AA7CgM
“Real Drip” ft. YTB Fatt: https://openshiftdistro.lnk.to/RealDrip
“Check Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJvImtz9Uro / https://openshiftdistro.lnk.to/CheckMe
“Luh Tyler Flow (Freestyle)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkK3Op5HYos
“Mode”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAt2wqNa3sY&ab_channel=WizzHavinn
“Not Worthy”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8po8soLB1E
Mr. Too Sticky: https://ingrv.es/mr-too-sticky-uft-i