20 August 28 - september 3, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Greatness Overnight Oodaredevil’s first listen of Ginger Blonde captured his wild and unpredictable energy. BY BRYSON “BOOM” PAUL O odaredevil (pronounced “Two-oh daredevil”) doesn’t need to align himself with a local movement or posse to establish dominance within the Dallas hip-hop scene. Since 2023, his hypnotic blend of wavy raps over futuristic, synth-heavy produc- tions has yielded popular tracks such as “Off Me” and “#salsa #surf,” resulting in a cult following. Ever appreciative of his devoted fan base, the South Dallas rap star invited them to preview his forthcoming album at a stylish, yet private, listening party. In late July, the Glenn Heights native ex- tended an invitation on social media for a listening experience for Ginger Blonde, hosted by Human Dior and Tell the Truth Records. This was the rapper’s second al- bum of 2025, following his collaboration al- bum, SkyDivin, with producer Jetsonmade (DaBaby’s “Suge,” Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin”) in April and appearing on Bash- fortheWorld’s new album Migo in America. Normal listening experiences are seldom tailored for fanfare, as most attendees typi- cally consist of music industry personnel. But this was different. The RSVP list would fill within the hour after its announcement. Fans flocked to downtown’s Human Dior clothing store earlier this month, excited for a first glimpse of Ginger Blonde. Over 100 fans gathered inside Human Dior to await the arrival of Oodaredevil, who casu- ally wore a camo outfit and a sleeveless shirt to combat the Texas heat. Always a man of the people, he personally welcomed everyone in attendance before previewing the album to ex- press his gratitude for their support. “I appreciate everybody for coming out,” he began while fans cheered. “Y’all catch a drink. Get some merch. Give somebody a hug, whoever you are with. We really finna run this bitch all the way through… and we just gonna vibe out.” Oodaredevil and Human Dior have col- laborated in the past. In 2023, the rap star filmed a music video for the song “Doing Me,” which is part of Vol. 3 of his Diary of a Inky Kid series, inside the showroom of the Japanese and European designer. According to Oodaredevil, Ginger Blonde follows eight previous projects that have continuously pushed his creative limits. “Every song I make don’t even sound like the same genre,” he told the Observer when we first interviewed him around the release of Skydivin in April. “I’m breaking barriers every time I record. I won’t even record if I’m not breaking a barrier musically.” Oodaredevil’s journey began on Sound- Cloud in 2020 with early tracks such as “Yes” and “Xcuseme.” By 2023, esteemed publica- tions like Pitchfork acknowledged “Off Me” as a must-hear rap song of the day that furthered his growing fanbase across the nation. By 2025, Jetsonmade sought him out to collabo- rate on a mixtape, making him the first Dallas artist the producer had wanted to work with since the late BFG Straap, which made the project even more significant to Dallas. “It’s so important, because the only other artist that worked with Jetsonmade was BFG Straap, RIP Straap, and they was going crazy,” he said. “But you know how that shit go. Everything went on. This is why it’s im- portant, because he already knew about the city and knew we had talent. It’s just stuff went a certain way. Now it’s time to bring that back together the right way.” Playing Ginger Blonde from his cell phone, the 12-track album began with bouncy pro- duction as the rap star rapped an intro that sounded flashy. Excited for what’s to come, the crowd quickly hopped up and down in unison. The second song set the tone of the evening—it’s party time. “Hey, Dallas, Texas, where the fuck are we at?” he shouted. The album’s content is lighthearted, fit- ting a smooth vibe that doesn’t delve into personal matters. The mixtape gradually transitions from a low-tempo whisper song to a fast-paced mosh pit anthem. Showcas- ing his diversity, the album explores various genres to demonstrate that he is distinctly different from other Texas rappers. While the fans weren’t familiar with the previewed song lyrics, the vibe was mag- netic. Many danced, rocked back and forth and displayed other expressions to share their enjoyment. Oodaredevil was more ex- cited to play the next track, as it assured him of attaining greatness one day. “I am one of the greatest artists and going to be one of the greatest artists, but every- thing doesn’t happen overnight, and the faster you come, the quicker it goes. You know what I mean? It’s like a process, steps and takes. I’m totally un- derstandable with the process, and I’m totally open to building more of that love to where the whole city is just rocking with me and everybody else in the city,” he claimed. He appreciated every- one for coming out to support him. “We’re gonna run a few more from the album,” he said. The album’s conclu- sion catered to the women with songs that deliver sensual produc- tions and loverboy con- cepts. A true fan experience, the music’s feedback was genuine. The energy created a ne- cessity to witness Oodaredevil perform the music in concert. After previewing Ginger Blonde’s track- list, Oodaredevil continued to elevate the vibe with unreleased music. Four of these unreleased songs were experimental, while remaining true to the evening’s vibrant en- ergy. The reaction has Oodaredevil excited for where his sound was headed. Along with the album preview and unre- leased music, fans were treated to special guest appearances by trending acts such as Kino from Fort Worth and Jugg4Monii from Dallas. Their support highlights the growth of the distinctive sound led by Oodaredevil and Kino in DFW hip-hop. “Everybody not the same,” Kino tells so- cial media host VibeJnkies after the experi- ence. “Everybody’s music don’t sound the same, especially like me and two O. That type of sound isn’t really found out here, outside of us. We’re just trying to bring a whole other sound to this shit [while] on some Texas shit.” For Oodaredevil, the col- laboration with his peers creates possibili- ties. “I feel like it’s more about connecting with the people,” he said, “making people feel like we’re all in this together.” SkyDivin, Migo in America and Ginger Blonde are merely the latest additions to Oodaredevil’s 2025 catalog. He plans to con- tinue pushing his music to a broader audience. “Putting my face everywhere … as many places as I can,” he replied when asked about his plan for the remainder of 2025. “And #1, just creating the best music, but learn certain things, putting my face every- where, connecting with people to where it’s a bigger cult [following], instead of just the ordinary person [listening]. Because the or- dinary person, once they see a movement going on, they’re accepting toward it, but the cult is what I want to grow. It’s a cult that’s growing to where it just takes one more and then it’s worldwide.” Ginger Blonde doesn’t have a firm release date yet. Instead, we have two red circles with the letter “O” inside across his social media, a move to keep his fans anticipating the new music. Whenever Oodaredevil de- cides to pop out next, the work-in-progress music is already a high-energy roller coaster ready for its next ride. Ben V. Shot It Oodaredevil holds an exclusive listening session for his upcoming album Ginger Blonde at Human Dior. | B-SIDES | t Music ALWAYS IN YOUR FEED. FOLLOW US
