Rushhy Bandxz - Yavage Mode (2016)

Styles: Plugg, Cloud Rap | US

Rushhy Bandxz was a notable figure in the early wave of Plugg, collabing with other popular rappers such as Chxpo and D Savage. What stood out about him was that unlike the often lethargic rapping of his peers, he had very expressive vocals steeped in echo and autotune. A year after this tape released, a 19 year-old Rushhy was sentenced to 18 years in prison for gun and gang charges.

 

Yavage Mode is a strange tape, purely because of Rushhy himself. The production is mostly standard, melodic Plugg. It's very fun and serves as a great backdrop to Rushhy and the features' rapping. It's definitely rooted in traditional Plugg of the time with work from 

the likes of Chris Surreal and Brandon Finessin. It's hosted by DJ Ayeron but he unfortunately doesn't add much besides some tags on songs. Although unusual, he still delivers a mostly accessible performance that grew on me a lot the second listen. His slurred delivery is so memorable and his flows are so loose in a way that I can only compare to Duwap Kaine. Who influenced who, I'm not sure. The features such as Yung Rizzy and Goonie help ground many of the tracks and the tape's pacing in general. Another thing I love is how often he changes his pitch during the songs, often with even stranger adlibs. It's the most unique rapping I've heard from the original wave of Plugg and the genre in general. The mood is consistently unserious, with more triumphant songs like Early and So So keeping the tone light-hearted. 

It's a shame that this and his sophomore release Rushhy Pack are all he left behind before getting locked up, but he's supposed to be free by January 8th, 2027. Hopefully when he comes out he'll eventually come back to making music. 

This tape is a defining release of Plugg's original wave and the SoundCloud era as a whole. The production is solid and the rapping is unforgettable and unique.

8/10

See also: Duwap Kaine, D Savage

Listen here: Spotify, SoundCloud 

- kreyzi