Written by Lily Cochiaro
Covered in layers of distortion and raw energy, OsamaSon gives us psykotic. Released on October 10th, this album is loud, chaotic, and emotionally charged- pushing himself further from his earlier work. Through every track, OsamaSon does what he does best: bringing intensity. Rage rap has been on the incline these past few years, and psykotic is not an album to miss.
OsamaSon (real name Amari Middleton) is a 22 year old rapper from South Carolina who entered the scene just a few years ago with his first release in 2021. He first started gaining a following primarily on social media, especially through live streams and short videos. His second studio album came out in 2023, his first major label release under Atlantic Records. He’s been consistently releasing music ever since, his last album coming out in January of this year.
With an artist like OsamaSon, with just a few albums released, you’re only going to see so much drastic “change” or “evolution” in the span of just a few years. If anything, ever since signing to Atlantic, the sound has become more fully realized and fleshed out with the help of producers like OK, Gyro, and others. Listening to his earlier work alongside this one, it’s clear from the beginning what direction he was headed in. I think all of his albums serve as great examples of what the “rage” genre looks like. When we look at bigger artists like Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Trippie Redd, and Ken Carson, the influence on his work is easy to recognize.
What I appreciate the most from a still-underground artist like OsamaSon is the authenticity. His music doesn’t feel engineered for radio play or manufactured for a broad audience- a pressure that larger artists are often pushed to achieve. Personally, I love essentially all genres- or at least can find songs I like within any genre. What turns me off most is when you can literally hear the marketing team in a track. I find it incredibly valuable when an artist makes music for the main purpose of making music and sharing it with others, not for money or fame.
That said, I’ll admit I was probably not the ideal person to write the review for this album. I like some trap/rage music, but not enough to be well-versed or give appropriate praise. I am also never quite sure what the appropriate setting is to listen to this music. As I write this review, I’m sitting at a little coffee shop here in Ames sipping my little mocha latte and I feel absolutely ridiculous blasting psykotic on my headphones. But hey, I am not the person to tell anybody where or when to listen to their music. The challenge with music that thrives mainly in certain settings (study music, dance music, rage, etc.) is that it can limit opportunities for new listeners or opportunities to listen in the first place. To listen to the album in full, I was either alone at home with my headphones or spending a late night at our office here in Friley. I feel like to really get a good listening experience you have to get in the right headspace for it.
My favorite tracks off the album would be Addicted, yea i kno, and Inferno. I think they’re on the more accessible side, for people like me that are still exploring the genre. Chances are if you like one of these songs, you’re probably going to like the rest of them. The beats and instrumentals are incredibly unique, but not necessarily varied across the course of the album.
In every generation, there’s going to be an older crowd that dismisses new music as trash, noise, poison for the ears of the youth. That’s what they said about Elvis, then The Beatles, then Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and later Biggie and Snoop Dogg and Eminem. I think if your grandma heard this album she’d spontaneously combust. I love the direction that artists like OsamaSon are taking music: not just pushing the boundaries, but practically shoving them over.
I mean this album is insane. I could tell you in a more sophisticated way, but i’ll leave that to the big music guys. I love this quote from Apple Music, “Psykotic sounds like it was recorded, smashed to pieces, and then reassembled from memory…” Or this one from Pitchfork, “…it feels to be so fried you can’t tell if you’re scared shitless or having the time of your life.” There are a million ways to put it, but you’re going to find a lot of the same idea:
This. Album. Is. Insane.
The distortion, the beats, the bass, the lyrics- it practically makes me giggle from excitement. My jaw remains on the floor for nearly every track. Whether out of shock, out of adoration, out of fear, I’m not sure. Could be all of them. Whether you like it or hate it, (both are valid reactions) it deserves every bit of recognition it gets.
