[Saturday Spotlight] – Wally Left, Alus, Butch Dawson, YS & Dino B.A.M

What’s going on HHNM readers, how’s it going? Sorry we missed you last week, but we’re back today with a brand new edition of our Saturday Spotlight series. The upcoming talent has been quite impressive as of late and today is no different. I’d like to introduce you to 5 promising upcomers — Wally Left, Alus, YS, Butch Dawson & Dino B.A.M.

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.

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Wally Left

First up is North Carolina native Wally Left and the video to his title track ‘World Series’ off of his forthcoming EP. With a smooth Chuck Inglish instrumental serving as the backdrop, Wally showcases his lyricism and wordplay over an enticing, laid back flow. Join Wally and his boys for a game of baseball in this Acid Proof-directed video, and be on the lookout for his World Series EP dropping on February 17th.

Alus

Next up we have the lovely Alus and her new, 8-track EP titled Alustrious hosted by DJ Epps. The 20-year old songbird takes us on a journey through her life in this new EP and right from the gate, you can see the talent this young singer entails. The first 7 tracks are original offerings and for the final track, Alus decides to cover Coldplay’s ‘Atlas’ track. Stream/download the full EP below and be on the lookout for this beauty — she’ll be here for a while.

Butch Dawson

Baltimore emcee Butch Dawson comes through with a nostalgic, self-produced track titled ‘Yada Yada’. The hypnotizing flow from Butch, combined with his relatable wordplay, has kept this song on repeat since I heard it. I’m always intrigued by artists who also produce because it’s clear where their talent level is at — in Butch’s case, it’s quite high. Grab your lighters and stream this soothing tune below.

YS

Residing in Florida, next up we have 20-year old emcee YS and his fierce new video titled ‘King Of The Jungle’. This intense, new single will live on YS’ upcoming debut EP titled Streets Of Rage expected to drop on February 25th. YS has an aggressive demeanor to him and by literally heading to the jungle in this new Chucky Millions-directed video, we can clearly see where his mind is at. Check out the full video below and be on the lookout for his Streets Of Rage dropping on Februray 25th.

Dino B.A.M

Last, but certainly not least, we have the very talented Dino B.A.M and his seductive new track titled ‘Oh Yeah’. It seems as if the R&B wave is trying to make its way back to the surface and with talent like Dino’s, it should only be a matter of time. This self-produced track will serve as the first single for Dino’s upcoming project Street Harmony expected out soon. They call him Dino B.A.M…and the B.A.M stands for By Any Means.