The Heat Index: Solly Bandz • DIFFERENT PPL

The Heat Index is These Days’ hip-hop column showcasing a hot new record we can’t stop playing.

Admittedly, Solly Bandz is a relatively new discovery for me, but he’s been putting out work at a high volume since 2019 , undeterred by who’s paying attention. His latest project, BANKBOY 2, features a hefty 24 tracks, yet surprisingly, it doesn't feel bloated. Sure, some songs don’t quite the hit mark, but he provides enough stylistic modifications of street rap, coupled with his undisputed charisma, that it keeps you engaged all the way through.

On the project’s standout “DIFFERENT PPL,” he doesn’t need much more than a simple refrain (“I don’t why they’re still broke / I guess we different people”) to get his flow stuck in your head for hours.

Throughout the song Solly bends the hook’s meaning so its part positive affirmations for people who are out trying to get it (“I was dead broke until I found a way”), and part adversary taunting (“Trying to get sh*t for the low, like what that sound like? Like a clown, right?”). The delivery and beat choice here is in a similar domain as Detroit’s Veeze, but Solly successfully manages to inject his own personality into the mix, carving out a distinct identity within the subgenre.