A master of understated flexes and aspirational street storytelling, Eddie Valero will never forget where he comes from. The Memphis riser connects with a legend from his city on “For The Hood,” his new music video. “For The Hood” is a tribute to Eddie’s home neighborhood of Orange Mound in Southeastern Memphis, which was the first U.S. neighborhood to be built by African-Americans, and once had the largest population of Black folks in the U.S. outside of Harlem. The song features a guest appearance from 8Ball, of the legendary duo 8Ball & MJG, also an Orange Mound native. Rhyming over a triumphant soul sample, Eddie and 8Ball drip with hometown pride, Eddie toe-tagging the beat with his authoritative drawl, while 8Ball fires off triplets as he passes the Memphis rap torch to Eddie. In the video, directed by Global Filmz, Eddie and 8Ball show off their car collections before posting up at a neighborhood eatery and shining a spotlight on the Mound’s colorful denizens. 

“For The Hood” is a highlight from Gangsta Blues, Eddie Valero’s brand new album. Spanning 11 tracks, the high-octane album harkens back to all eras of Memphis music, from the country-fried underground rap of the 90s, to the hustle-hard anthems of recent years, reaching all the way back to the blues that made Beale Street famous. Crafted by producers including BandPlay, Luh Ron, and DT Da Kidd, Gangsta Blues is a treat for fans who appreciate 70s soul as much as modern trap, weaving in samples from greats like Curtis Mayfield (on mood-setting intro “60 Dayz”) and The Isley Brothers (on self-assured closer “Superstar”) to animate Eddie’s street stories. Eddie’s resonant rap voice bounces off twangy guitars and speaker-knocking 808s, as he talks his fly sh*t (“Diamonds sing like Johnny Gill,” he says in recent single “New Edition“) and gives glimpses into the darker aspects of his rise. Featuring an additional guest appearance from Starlito, Gangsta Blues is available on all platforms in partnership with ONErpm.