If you have never heard MalcUpNext’s cover of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen,” you are losing. Fourteen-year-old Cleveland native, Malcolm White, gained popularity on Instagram, Vine and YouTube with sung covers of some of your favorite jams – including Drake’s “All Me,” O.T. Genasis’ “CoCo,” and even the “Little Einstein” theme song – backed by the beatbox stylings of his friend Brycen Hunt:
In yet another testament to the power of the Internet, White’s version of “Trap Queen” made its way onto the radar of Big Boi, who personally invited the young social media star to record several demos at his Stankonia Studios in Atlanta. White, is now Big Boi’s first artist on his Camp Purple record label, and is basking in the tutelage of the hip-hop legend who discovered the likes of Janelle Monae and Killer Mike.
“I’m definitely mentoring him,” Big Boi said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Me and ‘Dre started when we were sophomores in high school. We was already fuckin’ and all kinds of stuff like that. Malcolm’s way younger than that, so he ain’t got to that part yet. The innocence is what’s dope about it. I want to groom him as a talent. We gonna grow this boy into the world. Our goals are the same as always: We like to get talent that can be groomed and when you take the training wheels off, they can start pedaling and just go.”
Their first strike is MalcUpNext’s premier single, “That Feeling,” a pledge of teenage love reminiscent of early offerings from Chris Brown. White’s debut album is slated to drop this year, and will include collaborations with Big Boi and production by Mr. DJ.
Check out “This Feeling” below:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vsZeuoxivlw%3Frel%3D0