Teezo Touchdown is impossibly good.
After a slow start in 2019 with his debut rap-rock fusion “100 Drums,” his career reached an apex with his inclusion on Tyler, the Creator’s 2021 album “Call Me If You Get Lost.” Following an electric feature on “MODERN JAM” off of Travis Scott’s highly anticipated album “Utopia” and some high praise from Drake, which eventually led to multiple appearances from Teezo on Drake’s newest record, “For All The Dogs,” Teezo Touchdown announced his debut album “how do you sleep at night?” ready to show the world the extent of his unique style and raw talent.
But Teezo’s story didn’t start here. You’d never guess it from his colorfully painted fingernails, extravagant style, often including football shoulder pads and eye black, or the hundreds of construction nails decorating his hair, but Teezo was born in Beaumont, Texas, growing up in an “all american” hard working southern family. Teezo credits his dad, who was a DJ, for introducing him to music. He often references his family and his upbringing as a large point of inspiration in his life, specifically his father. “Here I go mentioning my dad in every interview,” Teezo said in an extended interview on “The Zane Lowe Show”.
As Teezo began sharing his taste through his unique visual style and the music he put out such as the Run-D.M.C byproduct “Rock Paper Strippers,” he started growing. It’s no secret that Teezo can throw a catchy track together, but he understood from the start that his standout style and distinct taste was the selling point of his art. At this point, Teezo’s impossibly eye-catching flair seems unshakable, sometimes affecting him negatively, unintentionally garnering him the title of “fashion rapper,” used to refer to someone whose style overshadows a lackluster music discography. Afterall, with sometimes up to 15 pounds of steel nails adorning his hair, the music could seem like an afterthought. The difference is, Teezo delivers.
Following the slow, steady increase in popularity, Teezo blew up in the underground scene after a huge feature run. Between the previously mentioned inclusion with Travis Scott, Drake, and Tyler, the Creator, and the likes of Lil Yachty and Don Toliver, Teezo has had arguably the biggest attraction from features since 2021. Even students at Summit are noticing Teezo on their favorite artists’ songs. “After hearing Drake talk about him.” said Pierce Gordon, a Junior here at Summit, “he was immediately on the radar.”
The excitement behind Teezo was at an all time high when he announced the release of his album, “How Do You Sleep At Night?” The title itself is a joke in the most Teezo way possible, referencing the ever-repeated question; how does he sleep with all the nails in his hair? The album is just as eccentric and expressive as Teezo himself. Its opening track, “OK,” embodies the revival of punk rock with its explosive guitar bursts and wailing vocals, while the album’s closing track is a “YouTube outro music” sounding electronic synth breakdown on “The Original Was Better.” The songs in between cross a whole range of genres, all falling into Teezos signature “rock‘N boom” sound, which he coined himself. The sound represents rock, r&b, and boom bop. The ”boom” also represents his hometown, Beaumont, Texas. The album saw just three features, including Janelle Monáe on “You Thought,” Fousheé on “Sweet,” and Isaiah Rusk on “Too Easy” and “I Don’t Think U C Me.” Throughout the record, Teezo explores themes of relationships, both romantic and platonic, and struggling to operate as an artist. Overall, the album works perfectly as an introduction to Teezo, working at its core as a sampler of his capabilities. “This is the ice breaker to a very long relationship between you and I!” He stated on instagram shortly after the album’s release
Although his career has been a slow process, Teezo knows he has the keys to truly explode. ”I know I’m gonna be a star.” said Teezo in an interview with Hypebeast magazine. “I’m just moving like a star before the rest of the world sees it.” He again speaks on controlling his future in his interview on The Zane Lowe Show; “the last job… I knew, the first day I told the guy who was doing my training like- yo I just want you to know like- this is very temporary. This music thing about to kick off for me.” The idea of manifesting your own future also shows itself time and time again in his music. In what might be the most touching moment on How Do You Sleep At Night?”;“Impossible,” Teezo sings about understanding the power you possess over your own future. “Who said it’s impossible? Give a name… an address… I want them right now.”
Potentially the most valuable offering we receive from Teezo is not his electrifying style, not his provoking and eye opening music, but his unmistakable display of the process. Teezo isn’t the biggest artist, he’s not the best dressed, but nail by nail, he’s doing the impossible. And he wants you to know that you can too.
