Amari Deshawn Middleton (born May 20, 2003),[a] known professionally as OsamaSon, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Goose Creek, South Carolina. He became widely known within the underground rap scene after his breakout hits "Cts-V" and "Troops" gained traction online in early to mid-2023; his debut studio album, Osama Season, was released in July 2023. His second studio album, Flex Musix, was released in December 2023.

OsamaSon
Middleton performing in 2024
Middleton performing in 2024
Background information
Birth nameAmari Deshawn Middleton[1]
Also known as
  • PradaUMari
  • Lil O
Born (2003-05-20) May 20, 2003 (age 21)[a]
Ohio, U.S.[3]
OriginGoose Creek, South Carolina, U.S.[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, FL Studio
Years active2020–present[1]
Labels
Websitewww.osamason.com

Career

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2020–2023: Career beginnings and breakthrough

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OsamaSon began making music in 2020 under the name PradaUMari.[4] By 2021, he had begun releasing music under his current moniker; his first slew of projects, the EPs I'm Da Man, Vengeance, and Carnival, were released during this time. In early 2023, the collaborative projects Osamavrt and 2 Slime preceded the release of the EP Bad Habits.[3] On April 7, OsamaSon's breakout single, "Cts-V", was released and began gaining traction online.[5] His music was further popularized by Internet personalities such as BruceDropEmOff, who played OsamaSon's songs on his live streams.[3]

2023–present: Osama Season and Flex Musix

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On June 2, 2023, OsamaSon released "Troops", the lead single from his debut studio album, Osama Season; like "Cts-V", the song saw considerable success online.[3] Osama Season itself was released on July 21, with music critics for Pitchfork and the Fader highlighting the tracks "Werkin", "Kutta", "Summer Sixteen", "Anti", and "X & Sex" as standouts from the album.[6][7] In October, he embarked on the Next Gen Tour alongside fellow rappers Kankan, Summrs, Highway, and the producer F1lthy.[8] OsamaSon signed to Atlantic Records before the release of his second studio album, Flex Musix, on December 8.[5]

On February 16, 2024, OsamaSon released Flxtra, the seven track deluxe edition of Flex Musix.[9] On February 18, he kicked off the Flex Musix Tour, his first as headliner; the tour concluded with a performance at Rolling Loud California on March 16.[10][11] On November 5, 2024, OsamaSon embarked on "The Wish You Were Here Tour" spanning across Canada, London, and Thailand.[12] The tour ends at Rolling Loud Thailand on November 22, 2024.

Artistry

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Musical style

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OsamaSon has been compared to a number of his contemporaries, including Chief Keef, Playboi Carti,[6] Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson,[8] Future,[9] and the late Speaker Knockerz.[3] He is known for his experimental sound—dubbed "maximalist rage" by the Fader's Vivian Medithi—which is characterized by a heavy usage of bass and synths;[3][7] his musical style was described as "woozy, discombobulating, and sometimes suffocatingly layered" by Leor Galil of the Chicago Reader.[5]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Tours

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Headlining

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  • Flex Musix Tour (2024)[10]
  • Wish You Were Here Tour (2024)[12]
  • Going Dumbo Tour (2024)[10]

Co-headlining

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b In a March 2023 interview with the YouTube channel Saint Klout, OsamaSon confirmed that he was 19 years old;[2] this would make his birth year 2003.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Duquette, Mike. "OsamaSon Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  2. ^ OsamaSon (March 31, 2023). "OsamaSon Interview: The New "Slayworld", Weird Fan Interactions, Hitechstef & More..." (Video). Interviewed by Saint Klout. Retrieved May 31, 2024 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barlas, Jon (July 23, 2023). "OsamaSon wows with debut album 'Osama Season'". Our Generation Music. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  4. ^ "OsamaSon Lyrics, Songs, and Albums". Genius. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Galil, Leor (February 19, 2024). "OsamaSon's hip-hop thrives at extremes". Chicago Reader. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Pierre, Alphonse (August 3, 2023). "Listen to OsamaSon's "Werkin": The Ones". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Medithi, Vivian (October 5, 2023). "4 rappers you really need in rotation". The Fader. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Our Generation Music Presents 2023 Next Gen Tour With Kankan, Summrs, F1lthy, and more". Live Nation. August 8, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Barlas, Jon (February 16, 2024). "OsamaSon drops off six tracks on 'Flxtra' deluxe". Our Generation Music. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Barlas, Jon (December 14, 2023). "OsamaSon flexes through fire on new album 'Flex Musix'". Our Generation Music. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Okon, Wongo (March 13, 2024). "Here Are The Rolling Loud California Set Times For 2024". Uproxx. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "The Wish You Were Here Tour". October 8, 2024. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
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Title Details
Osama Season
Flex Musix
  • Released: December 8, 2023
  • Labels: Atlantic Records
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
JumpOut!
  • Released: Upcoming
  • Labels: Atlantic Records, AllSLime
  • Format: digital download, streaming [soon]
"ohsama" w/ ohsxnta