Adopting the stance of an outsider is nothing new, especially in the dog-eat-dog world of underground hip-hop where standing out from the hordes of wannabe rappers is a must. Cue Atlanta newcomer Pony Boy who first started making waves two years ago when he unveiled his self-titled EP, which he self-produced under the pseudonym TJ Pompous. Since then, he’s shared the mic with the likes of underground upstarts Wiley From Atlanta and Jaye Newton, all the while dropping new music at a fairly prodigious rate. His latest cut is a smooth bit of positive reinforcement called “I’m in a Great Mood,” and right off the bat Pony Boy is quick to let you know he’s no trend chaser: “Beats sound like Timbaland’s / But then again, I don’t do synonyms / Trust me, I’m too different,” he declares confidently, and while there may be a hint of swagger in his voice, overall his demeanor and flow are cool and relaxed as if he’s been preparing for this moment for some time.
Visually, the soft focus pans and gorgeous wide-angle shots of Pony Boy roaming the grounds of a hillside horse farm are stunning enough to make you almost forget about the sleek soundtrack bumping alongside it. There’s a cinematic quality to the production that places it well above the average local video, but before you get lost in the sweeping panoramas, the track slides into ultra funk mode and Pony Boy steps in to snatch the spotlight. “Invincible, I’m at the pinnacle, it ain’t that difficult” he raps before flipping the script one more time and finishing things off in a hail of buzzsaw guitars and grimy club footage. Throughout it all, his central message rings clear: outsider or not, Pony Boy is a force to be reckoned with.
Watch/listen above.
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Instagram: @ponyboyatl
SoundCloud: @ponyboyatl
Twitter: @itsponyboy