21 year-old artist Mario Judah exists in the musical Twilight Zone: a place where Breaking Benjamin meets A Boogie, Pantera meets Playboi Carti, and Ozzy Osbourne meets Offset. While this may seem like an odd juxtaposition at first, the fusion of rap and rock is nothing new – just look at artists like Three 6 Mafia, Limp Bizkit, and Cypress Hill. However, Mario Judah has breathed new life into the tradition with his unique delivery and trap instrumentation.
Judah saw success in September of this year with the single “Die Very Rough”, which combines melody and melodrama through a vocal delivery that has been compared to that of a Disney villain. With the addition of a horror film themed music video, the song was slated to become a meme – which is exactly what happened when it exploded on TikTok. Despite the novelty of “Die Very Rough”, Judah has undeniable singing chops and has been producing beats since his teenage years. Released in June, “Crush” forecasted the success of “Die Very Rough” and proved his sound is more than a gimmick – it’s his brand.
In the age of viral fame, getting our attention is easy – the hard part is maintaining it. Will Mario Judah enter the hallowed halls of horrorcore as an artist that blurs the line between rap and rock? Or will he fade into meme rap obscurity and join the ranks of 6ix9ine and Ugly God? Now that he has the spotlight, only time will tell what he does with it.
– DJ Mango