Zone 6 legend Gucci Mane had always put on or worked with several upcoming artists from Atlanta like Migos, Young Thug and Future before they became stars, so he knows a little something about searching for quality talent.
Atlanta has been the Hip Hop capital for over 20 years and continues to produce talent daily. For a new rapper trying to make it out of the neighboring regions, it’s an even more difficult task trying to stand out in such a crowded scene. But Gucci’s latest signee, Foogiano, has managed to figure it out by being himself and has all the makings of a real Hip Hop star, and because of that, he is one of HipHopDX’s 2021 Rising Stars!
Hometown: Greensboro, GA
Notable Co-Signs: Gucci Mane, DaBaby, Lil Baby
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Notable Projects To Date:Gutta Baby (2020)
Accolades To Date: First signee to Gucci Mane’s reimagined New 1017 label in partnership with Atlantic Records; Gutta Baby album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart; featured on eight out of 24 songs on Gucci Mane Presents: So Icy Summer compilation album; 140 million combined views on YouTube
[This post has been updated. The following was originally published on February 3, 2021] Read updates below.
Musical Style
The charismatic vibe that Foogiano injects into his songs is enough to lure any Hip Hop listener to his music. The Greensboro product has a musical style that falls right into Trap Rap’s category with his knack for beats with high tempo snares, vibrant piano keys and speaker rattling bass. Almost every rapper coming out of Atlanta takes on that style, but what separates Foogiano from his peers is his infectious voice and the raw energy he brings to his music.
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His first two breakout singles, “Molly (Baby Mama)” and “TRAPPER,” are excellent introductions into the world of Foogiano. His often high-pitched voice turns the most rigid street tales into club-ready bangers where you can’t help but bump your head to his infectious sound. He also wrote poetry as a kid before thinking about rap as a career, so the love for wordplay is evident. Tie his ability to craft sharp verses on the whim with a sound that has you ready to move, and you have an artist that caters to the casual Hip Hop fans and those that opt for more lyrical content.
On the compilation album Gucci Mane Presents: So Icy Summer, Foogiano put his bars up and held his own against some of ATL’s most respected rappers in Gucci, Lil Baby and Future. He took his craft to the next level on his debut project, Gutta Baby, where he dropped more introspective records like “Chosen” and story-telling songs like “The Plan Pt. 2” and “Demons.”
Rising Star Power
Foogiano’s entry onto HipHopDX’s Rising Stars 2021 list comes right after the breakout year he had in 2020. He snagged eight different features on Gucci’s So Icy Summer compilation album, the most out of anyone on The New 1017. He even saw his numbers go up with over 40 million plays on streaming services and 140 million views combined on YouTube.
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His single “Molly (Baby Momma)” caught Gucci Mane’s attention and the 26-year-old became the first artist under Gucci’s revived label The New 1017. The bold and brash confidence he exuded on that record and its accompanying video was undeniable and showed the rapper could hold his own without his label boss’s star power. That was amplified even more on his debut project Gutta Baby. Although he had some help from big-name features on the project like DaBaby, Lil Baby and Gucci Mane, Foogiano shined bright when he was rhyming on a beat solo.
HipHopDX's Rising Stars 2021: 10 New Rappers Shaping Their Legacy
Foogiano gives it to you exactly how it is, whether you like it or not. What lures you into his star power is the feeling that Foogiano is really having fun with what he’s doing. In his videos, you can see it when he’s dancing around with his friends or when he catches listeners by surprise with his witty wordplay on songs. If there’s one way to stick out from a place that breeds artists cut from the same mold, it’s to be yourself.
Like Foogiano said during an interview in November, “I ain’t gon’ be the next nothin’. What I’m gon’ be nobody ever been.”
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Congrats to Foogiano for making HipHopDX’s Rising Stars 2021! HipHopDX will be keeping an eye on “The Mayor” as he enters a new year on a bright note following a successful first term in 2020.
Check out more of the 2021 Rising Stars here.
FOOGIANO’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO FAR
- “First Day Out” music video hits 1 million views on YouTube
- Dropped “Gutta Baby” Documentary Pt.2 with over 500k views on YouTube
- Considered for 2021 XXL Freshman Class list
- Dropped “Free Foo” music video along with march, following arrest
- Releases ‘Backwood Boyz’ mixtape with Geezy Escobar
- Dropped “The Plan Pt. 2” music video on YouTube now at 700k+ views on YouTube
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FOOGIANO’S SET BACKS SO FAR
- Arrested for burning off an ankle monitor following a previous arrest back in 2015
- Sentenced to 5-years incarceration [March]
