Posted by Among the new generation of rising artists from the West Coast is 2021 XXL Freshman Blxst, a hip-hop superhero coming in to save the day with his revered sing-song rap style. His 2020 EP, No Love Lost, and its accompanying deluxe edition have earned the South Central, Los Angeles native much respect as a newcomer in the game. The 25-year-old artist, who raps, sings and produces, already proudly proclaimed that he's willing to carry the torch for L.A. to uphold the city's legacy like Nipsey Hussle did. Now, Blxst, with a proverbial cape at his back, is soaring into the game, knocking out any obstacle in his path. He brings that same vibe to his version of XXL's ABCs.
When Blxst was younger, he came up with what would ultimately be his rap moniker "on some dumb shit." The letter B prompts him to tell the story. "As I got older, when I had my son, I looked at it as me being his superhero," he says of his now 3-year-old child. "So, now I'm Blxst the superhero."
For D, it's clear the triple threat practices what he preaches. "D, yeah, I'ma say don't talk too much because actions speak louder than words at all times," Blxst shares. Over the last year, the West Coast artist did few interviews, and let the music speak for itself. Tracks like the guitar-driven groove "Chosen" featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga, which has 39 million Spotify streams and more than 7 million YouTube views, and the Donell Jones' "This Luv"-sampled "Overrated," with 18 milli Spotify streams and nearly 4 milli YouTube views, are proof of that.
Elsewhere in his ABCs, Blxst looks to one of the NBA's most admired basketball players to set the bar for excellence in the game: Michael Jordan. "For J, I'ma say Jordan," Blxst explains. "You know that's a NBA great and I strive to have the work ethic that he had."
L is an obvious choice with L.A. getting all the love. M stands for money, and, most importantly, to make sure that the bag is secured at all times because "you can't be out here looking sad." And vegan comes to mind when Blxst gets to the letter V. Just like he promotes his music, he does so with healthy eating, too.
Watch Blxst pay respect to DMX, root for the underdog and keep hustling at the forefront in his ABCs below.