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In 2019, Yung Pooda found himself at a crossroads between the streets and the studio. After performing alongside legends such as Boosie Badazz, Slim Thug, and Z-Ro, recording with platinum icon Paul Wall, and igniting a buzz of his own throughout the country, the Houston rapper made an important pledge to himself. His pledge changed the course of everything to follow in its wake. “In the middle of recording and getting in all kinds trouble, I promised God I would get out of the streets and just do music,” he admits. “I stuck to my word.” Long before this vow, hip-hop called to him as a kid in Orange, TX. Pooda’s mother bumped Naughty by Nature’s “Hip Hop Hooray” throughout the one-bedroom and one-bathroom house built by his grandfather that he and his mom shared with his grandma. As he puts it, “I used to go nuts to that song!” He used to listen to classics from OutKast, JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, Master P, Ludacris, DJ Screw, and more. When Pooda visited dad, pops actually built a home studio at his spot to cook up beats and DJ. Growing up, he practiced his skills on the mic and sharpened the wordplay, developing a signature style. He sent shockwaves through the city after a successful showcase, earning endorsements from the likes of DJ Hi-C of Houston’s 97.9 The BOX who said, “He’s always been a lyricist.” Inciting local excitement, he performed multiple tour dates with Boosie Badazz and teamed up with Paul Wall for the single “Beat Up The Block.” Relocating to Prairie View, he moved into a two-story house with his cousin and two friends where they “were trapping and getting money, but shit got too hectic.” At this point, he reset everything. “There were fights, threats, and all types of shit,” he recalls. “I ended up saying that prayer.” His music made its way to It’s A 10 Records, a boutique label distributed by The Orchard/Sony Music, who immediately signed him in 2019. Now, he properly introduces his signature sound on the 2020 EP, Vivid Pictures. Produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning duo Cool & Dre [JAY-Z, Beyoncé, Nas], the first single “Repeat Dat” flexes his laidback flow and airtight rhymes over a slick beat and melodic swell. On the chant-able chorus, he commands, “Get it, count it, stack it, spend it, do it again and repeat dat process.” “It’s about my past, present, and future life,” he reveals. “I’m really big on the law of attraction and speaking thoughts into existence. I had a past in the streets. I was getting money every day without a job or support. When I got out of the streets, I was still getting paid Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.” Elsewhere, “Rasta” dips in and out of a Caribbean bounce as he ponders how “hair is strength.” He elaborates, “I was thinking about the situation with young black men having dreads. It didn’t make sense to me. I live a Rasta life and wanted to show pride.” Then, there’s “Stop Playing.” He bodies skittering production with bars about “honest truth.” The title track “Vivid Pictures” places cinematic verses in between soulful samples. “There’s a deep meaning,” he explains. “I aspire to be an artist and more than a rapper. I’m inspired by Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci. When I listen to a beat in my head, I’m putting art together. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Everything is clear. Each song gives you a visual like a movie. That’s Vivid Pictures to me. It’s the frequency I want to be on.” In the end, Pooda fulfills every promise and leaves his mark on the culture in the process. “When you listen to me, I want you to feel enlightened and great,” he leaves off. “I hope you relate to the emotion and know you’re not alone. I’m young enough to make mistakes and old enough to know better. I’m telling my story. I’m human.”