Marx coined the concept of historical materialism, the idea that class struggle moves history. I am providing my own, the youth move history. If it were not for an innate audacity to change and push the norm, to delve into a new and dangerous territory, we would still be banging rocks and sticks in a cave. I am sure the first cavekid to grunt on top of a stone track was all but written off by their predecessors, but he, and a thousand generations of kids like him, are the reason we have Richmond’s own, Nettspend.
At 17, the rapper has well over 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with his newest track, “Withdrawals“, nearing 2 million listens in under 6 weeks. The local artist is rapidly and unprecedentedly representing Richmond on the big stage, putting our city in the newest chapter of music evolution. His first release popped up on Soundcloud late in 2022 when he was only 15, from the womb with a new sound. The following few months saw a steady rise in listeners and popularity until September of 2023 when a snippet of drankdrankdrank found its way onto X, formerly known as Twitter, and cashed his check. The clip, which added up millions of views, amassed two camps in the comment section. One side was critical and dismissive, mainly backing their claims with the write off of age, but the other saw the snippet and could see the potential of a whole new style. Regardless of the division, it opened up a huge number of people to Nettspend.
On the cusp of generation Z and Alpha, Nettspend is a child of the internet. This provided all the tools he needed to start his journey. It gave him the ability to discover music at a rate and in a way unattainable by previous generations, finding artists like Future and Uzi before hitting middle school, and making music before hitting the age of 10. The combination of technology, ambition and talent has the artist making music with hundreds of thousands of listens on Spotify all off of Bandlab on his phone. This is absolutely the case and point that music, and musicianship has evolved. We are in an accessible epoch where talent can be maximized by the ease of production. An undeniable part of this new era is an influx, a surplus of music; the markets flooded with anyone that has the thumbs to upload. All that is worth it when it gives someone the means to connect with people and find a space. Modern scenes are more expansive than ever, and give rise to quick and towering success. His lyrics do a good job of representing the nihilism that seems thrust into the arms, in increased violence, of each generation.
His sound definitely stems from trap, a genre that has dominated the modern hip hop underground, but it seems to be brought anew. He seems to snap between dramatically heavily driven drives to floating free tunes. I think there is a definite relation to 100 Gecs, the intense technological sound with an almost modern emo spin. The songs are short and memorable, but the delivery is what really sets them apart. Nettspend has already sealed his style, it is not overly complicated, it is direct and overlays provide an added level of emotion. This puts him at the front of the pack. As of right now I think his lyrics are consistent with modern trap, but if he can develop them to the level of his expression, it will send him into the stratosphere.
His live shows are electric, chaotic, all things you could hope for. He clearly has an eye for image, often seen in a clean and smart white button down shirt and tie. I think rap fashion has been a bit predictable for some time now, so to see something like this is both refreshing, and harks back to the more style-focused early pioneers like Grandmaster Flash. Traversing the stage, he also has a mind for showmanship. His movements are sporadic and staccato, eye catching and brilliant. His Rolling Live Performance has the grandeur to do him justice, while still keeping him connected to the crowd, diving into an enthused crowd.
Nettspend has clearly found the fans and the community to support him. He has collaborated with Xaviersobased, another young rapper that has found impressive results through similar style. The two have received a combination of media coverage and broad support from fans. They seem to be leading the wave through the river of trap into a new promised land.
His young age has proven all his baseline talent and sent him places I am sure he once dreamt off. Now it is only development, a steady evolution of everything he has demonstrated. Undoubtedly we are seeing insane popularity in this new intense style, and RVA has a horse leading the race. Nettspend has already been someone to catch, and now it is time to hitch your ride into his future.
Check the Nettspend cameo on fellow chart topping Virginia rapper Tommy Richman‘s “Devil Is A Lie” video.
