Pregame Rituals arrived tonight (April 10) and the 19-year-old 2KBABY has something to say. The self-taught singer and rapper has a sound reminiscent of a young Akon. His raps maintain a melodic style and from the sound of it, he can carry a tune. The name of this joint is fitting, seeing as how this young baller is just getting warmed up.

Apparently, he learned how to sing while driving to Atlanta in a car with no radio, as an effort to leave his challenging past behind. The Kentucky rapper now calls California home, but the change of scenery hasn’t changed his persona. Equal parts triumph and humble beginnings, 2KBABY is a prime example of what determination can do for a talented young black man and Pregame Rituals marks his debut EP.

The project arrives courtesy of MASKED Records in partnership with Warner Records. The heavy buzz generated by 2019’s breakout song “Old Streets” led to a remix featuring Chicago Drill artist Lil Durk, which made the final track list. The song was the one that caught the ear of Roger Gengo, the Masked Gorilla and founder of MASKED Records that signed 2KBABY.

G Herbo makes an appearance on this project, assisting on the cut “Old Soul.” A snippet of the song was teased on 2KBABY’s Youtube channel last month. The rapper can be seen in the video sporting a red ski mask with bags of money falling like tear drops embroidered on it, while listening to the song in the background. The emo rap vibe is strong and Herbo’s bars hold down the track while 2KBABY handles the hook. YFN Lucci gets down on “Half A Milli,” the only other feature on the project.

A relative newcomer, 2KBABY is quickly making a name for himself. His experiences overcoming hardships are the stuff that rap dreams are made of.

Give Pregame Rituals a listen below.