Every March 12 should be a nationally recognized holiday. On that day in 2012, a 16-year-old from Parkway Garden Homes -- O-Block -- by the name of Keith Cozart aka Chief Keef shook up the rap game and released a legendary mixtape titled /Back from the Dead/. The debut of the young outlaw who also goes by “Sosa” and “Otto” spawned a phenomenon known as “Drill music,” which is a trap-influenced sound based out of Chicago, known particularly for its introspective lyrics on gang life and growing up in the Windy City’s rougher neighborhoods. Since the inception of the sound, a number of acts have left the trenches for the billboard charts, including: Li’l Durk, Z-Money, G-Herbo/Lil Bibby, Fredo Santana (R.I.P.) and most recently Polo G aka Polo Capalot, a 20-year-old from the city’s Northside. “As black men from impoverished areas, we all experience the same struggles. Growing up in Chicago, it’s more extreme. We live a fast-paced life at a young age and go through a lot,” Capalot told Rolling Out. Through Polo G’s music you feel connected to him and his life story. The rapper bleeds on tracks like “Finer Things,” in which he croons about his upbringing/coping mechanisms used to deal with trauma in his neighborhood and his love for his family, who you can see in the video and on his Instagram -- his mom is his manager. Flexes his lyrical muscles on tracks like, “Neva Cared Remix,” and flaunts an advanced understanding of melodies on songs like “Pop Out,” a 3:00 dripfest with up-and-coming New York rapper Lil Tjay (my 15-year-old lil cousin said he’s the one). Not only does he have the musical chops you need to succeed in today’s climate -- multiple flows, a good enough singing voice to harmonize his way to riches, and ever-evolving content that both the old and young can feel -- Polo G has one thing you can’t practice: the charisma to market himself effectively. Watch out for Polo G.



