Newark rapper Bandmanrill releases his highly anticipated debut mixtape, Club Godfather. Listen HERE via Warner Records. The 13-song record, which includes guest appearances by NLE Choppa, skaiwater, Sha Ek, Lay Bankz, and production by mcvertt showcases the stylistic dexterity and relentless energy that have quickly made Bandmanrill one of the most unmissable new acts in music this year.
The approaches on Club Godfather are remarkably dynamic. On cuts like “Lurkin,” “Copy and Paste,” and “Knockin,” the project turns up the heat and the stakes in Bandman’s signature style. And then there are brighter songs handled with lighter touches, like the shimmering “Beautiful Diamonds” or the contemplative “Piano Bandman.”
What ties these formats together is Bandman’s unmistakable clarity of vision. “I just want my credit,” he raps on “Influence,” referring to the trailblazing he’s done in helping to reshape the genre around him.
In the months preceding Club Godfather, Bandman was singled out by critics and audiences as being on the leading edge of a crucial new style. He was the central figure in Pitchfork’s report on the new generation of club rap; The FADER has called his songs and videos “thrilling.” And still, it is highly unusual for an artist to deliver a debut that so deftly weaves together all of his strengths into one coherent whole.
But this sort of synthesis is nothing new for him. Bandman is a unique study in regionalism. He fuses Drill music with Jersey Club, which is native to his home base in the Garden State. Both genres harken back to rap’s house-party beginnings, foregrounding rhythm and drum programming designed to move feet and rattle speaker systems.
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With Club Godfather, Bandman proves what those in the know have long suspected: that his original hybrid formula makes for some of the most addictive music in hip-hop today.
“The appeal of Bandman . . . is more than just the sound—it also offers a glimpse at how a younger generation is putting its touch on music they lived with in their childhood,” — Pitchfork
“one of the most relevant artists to rhyme over the club music beats and has his sights set on taking it all over the world.” — XXL
“Turning on a Bandmanrill song feels like being dropped into a party right as its energy peaks,” — The FADER
“someone that simply can’t be ignored, no matter what type of hip-hop you generally listen to.” — Lyrical Lemonade
ABOUT BANDMANRILL:
Raised in Newark, New Jersey, Bandmanrill has made his name with fast-paced genre-melding tracks that show a knack for detailed wordplay and the technical prowess to coast over the intricate rhythms of club music. His singular style is already starting to resonate with listeners. Bandmanrill’s 2021 single “Heartbroken”—which marries emotional, nostalgic production to the delirious flexes contained in his lyrics—has received an average of 140k streams per week for the last two months. That track, along with equally electric offerings like “I Am Newark” and “Close Friends” have also created multiple viral TikTok moments. The songs have helped him garner over 300k monthly Spotify streams and a fan base that’s growing by the day. Mischievous and raw, blunt yet infectious, his songs are the work of an artist who has a chip on his shoulder — and he deserves it. With contagious confidence and a truly unique approach to rap, Bandmanrill is clearly just getting started.
