It’s not common for a rookie in rap to have a breakout track that cracks the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a feat that genuinely certifies a song as a hit. So is the case of Superstar Pride, the 20-year-old rapper who reached those heights this past February via his single “Painting Pictures.” Since being released late fall, the song has also racked up over 66 million Spotify streams to date and counting. Plus, it sparked a TikTok trend that has closer to 1 million videos created to the sound thus far. With that motion, the entire world has been taking notice of the musical destiny that he’s been chasing for nearly 15 years now.
Superstar Pride the artist was awakened back when he was 6 years old. His mom’s friend used to make music, inspiring Pride to start cooking up on his own. The result was a short track that never got released. However, around the age of 15, Pride started to take music seriously and laced his first official drop “Deep End,” which was reflective of the gangsta bounce sound that YoungBoy Never Broke Again popped off with. It also showed an early glimpse of Pride’s artistry that’s so far become known for its gully lyrics, sharp cadences and a southern drawl used to deliver it all. After uploading the song to SoundCloud, Pride’s name started to circulate around the two cities that he was raised between: Sardis and Batesville, Miss. And he refused to fold up with the ball in his court.
In late 2022, and after releasing a few additional loosies, Superstar Pride capitalized on the momentum with his debut EP, 5 lbs of Pressure. The five-track project houses standout records such as “Patience,” “Make Em Respect It” and “Painting Pictures,” the latter of which was created in just 10 minutes, according to Pride. Notably, the song samples Faith Evans’ love hymn “Soon As I Get Home” (1995). Initially, the sample wasn’t cleared, which caused Pride’s “Painting Pictures” to be removed from streaming services like Spotify and YouTube. However, after several days, the issue was settled and the rapper’s track returned.
The glowing instrumental, created by StunnaMade and Global Knockz, paired with Pride’s candid lyrics about thugging through the struggle is a sonic combustion of fire. His live mic performance of “Painting Pictures” also fueled that notion, as it went viral on TikTok due to fans poking fun at the rhymer’s hairstyle. Hundreds of thousands of videos were created by users who reenacted the visual in zany ways by pretending to record the song with objects like a toilet taped to their head and pressed back against a military tank, among others. As the world took notice, the song climbed up to No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early March after debuting at No. 99 in late February. The move gave Pride the momentum to start working on a new album that’s currently in the works. He’s also partnered with UnitedMasters to distribute his music.
In light of Superstar Pride’s recent success, the independent artist stopped by The Break: Live to discuss how “Painting Pictures” came to life, his musical inspirations, advice for other artists trying to get where he is and much more. Check out the full interview below.
Follow Superstar Pride on SoundCloud and Instagram.
Standouts:
“Painting Pictures”
“Plan B”
“Make Em Respect It”
“Soicychallenge”
5lbs of Pressure
See Signs You’re a YoungBoy Never Broke Again Fan
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