Amari Deshawn Middleton (born May 20, 2003)[a], known professionally as OsamaSon, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He became widely known within the underground rap scene after his breakout hits "Cts-V" and "Troops" gained traction online in early to mid-2023; his debut studio album, Osama Season, was released in July 2023. His second studio album, Flex Musix, was released in December 2023.
OsamaSon | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Amari Deshawn Middleton[1] |
Also known as |
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Born | [a] Ohio, U.S.[3] | May 20, 2003
Origin | Goose Creek, South Carolina, U.S.[1] |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | Vocals, FL Studio |
Years active | 2020–present[1] |
Labels |
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Website | www.osamason.com |
Career
2020–2023: Career beginnings and breakthrough
OsamaSon began making music in 2020 under the name PradaUMari.[4] By 2021, he had begun releasing music under his current moniker; his first slew of projects, the EPs I'm Da Man, Vengeance, and Carnival, were released during this time. In early 2023, the collaborative projects Osamavrt and 2 Slime preceded the release of the EP Bad Habits.[3] On April 7, OsamaSon's breakout single, "Cts-V", was released and began gaining traction online.[5] His music was further popularized by Internet personalities such as BruceDropEmOff, who played OsamaSon's songs on his live streams.[3]
2023–present: Osama Season and Flex Musix
On June 2, 2023, OsamaSon released "Troops", the lead single from his debut studio album, Osama Season; like "Cts-V", the song saw considerable success online.[3] Osama Season itself was released on July 21, with music critics for Pitchfork and the Fader highlighting the tracks "Werkin", "Kutta", "Summer Sixteen", "Anti", and "X & Sex" as standouts from the album.[6][7] In October, he embarked on the Next Gen Tour alongside fellow rappers Kankan, Summrs, Highway, and the producer F1lthy.[8] OsamaSon signed to Atlantic Records before the release of his second studio album, Flex Musix, on December 8.[5]
On February 16, 2024, OsamaSon released Flxtra, the six track deluxe edition of Flex Musix.[9] On February 18, he kicked off the Flex Musix Tour, his first as headliner; the tour concluded with a performance at Rolling Loud California on March 16.[10][11]
Artistry
Musical style
OsamaSon has been compared to a number of his contemporaries, including Chief Keef, Playboi Carti,[6] Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson,[8] Future,[9] and the late Speaker Knockerz.[3] He is known for his experimental sound—dubbed "maximalist rage" by the Fader's Vivian Medithi—which is characterized by a heavy usage of bass and synths;[3][7] his musical style was described as "woozy, discombobulating, and sometimes suffocatingly layered" by Leor Galil of the Chicago Reader.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Details |
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Osama Season |
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Flex Musix |
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Tours
Headlining
- Flex Musix Tour (2024)[10]