“His vocals stand out,” says Variety Hitmaker of the Month IAm_30Roc of his work with RoddyRicch on 'The Box.'
Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before: Eccentric young rapper signs with major label; Writes catchy song based on borrowed beat; Inspires memes on Instagram and viral videos on TikTok; Lands on chart; Hits No. 1; Stays on top; Week after week, after week, after week. Sound familiar?as Lil Rod X — a natural sequel to last year’s most popular underdog story — don’t count on self-effacing Tweets or songs about horses from the Compton native.
Next year, the streaming smash from his own album, “Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial,” will likely score noms for Ricch and his cowriter/producer, Samuel Gloade. “My proudest moment is the song going to No. 1,” says the Bronx native who is known professionally as 30 Roc. “I’ve had records that charted before, but there’s nothing like a No. 1, especially when you’re competing against Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. And now we’re battling the Futures.
Reflecting on the life of the song, Roc can point to the exact moment he realized it was about to blow up. “The day after the album came out, I went on iTunes and was like, ‘Damn! That’s the only song with a star on it?’ Then I went on Instagram and saw all the memes.” Roc has since devised a formula for predicting future hits: “If you see more than like 80 memes in a couple days, then you know it’s lit.” Admittedly, he still has a lot to learn about TikTok.
Their social media boost nothwithstanding, Roc gives Ricch the lion’s share of credit for their success. “His voice stands out from anything that’s going on today,” says the producer. “When I hear him sing, I’m just like, ‘Oh s–t, there’s Roddy.’” Similarly, Roc’s beat is anything but your typical trap. “I thought it was pretty dope that we tried something different. I didn’t think he’d choose it, but he did — and I knew the beat would change his flow and change him.
Despite his chart-topping success as a producer — not to mention the name of this column — Roc doesn’t want to be known as a hitmaker. “I mean, it’s dope putting songs together, but I’d rather be called a composer,” he says. “I have an actual music background: I was in a marching band.
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