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Look Alive (feat. Drake) – BlocBoy JB

American rapper BlocBoy JB emerged in 2017 with a pair of viral hits that highlighted his speedy rhymes and big bass production from longtime producer Tay Keith. Born James Baker in Memphis, Tennessee, JB grew up in a large, single-parent household and would sneak his brother’s equipment away to record his own music. The self-taught producer and dancer released his first song, “Goons Coming,” when he was just a teenager. In 2017, he issued “No Chorus, Pt. 6” and “Shoot,” the latter of which took off and caught the ears of high-profile rappers like Drake. Produced by Keith, the track was featured on his mixtape Who Am I 3, and was recorded in the rapper’s closet. As his online audience grew, he issued additional mixtapes like The Purple M&M and Simi. In early 2018, he scored a major co-sign when Drake joined him on the track “Look Alive,” which amassed millions of streams within a month of its release. ~ Neil Z. Yeung