Released on June 20, 2025,
on GoodTalk.
Among the countless Southern rappers making noise on TikTok while being overlooked by the mainstream, there’s Big Yavo. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, he first broke through in 2020 with his signature single “Shawn Kemp,” and has been dropping one or two projects a year ever since. Along the way, he’s started to move in bigger circles: he appeared alongside BigXthaPlug and That Mexican OT on the latter’s standout album Lonestar Luchador, and in 2024, on his own project The Giant, he linked up with Yung Mal, BossMan Dlow, PeeWee Longway, and Luh Soldier. The latter, also from Birmingham, is his closest collaborator. The two notably teamed up for the mixtape Gorilla Warfare.
In short, Yavo Osama (his real name) has carved out a solid place for himself in the post-trap Southern rap scene. But this year, he sets himself apart with what might be his strongest project yet.
On Dingers, he comes across as a true showman. He can raise his voice in triumphant fashion while retelling that classic American success story (“Swang The Door”). He can snap at fake rivals over the sparse piano line of “Faking The Funk.” He can run through his list of conquests over the breezy reggae-tinged “I Know A Bitch,” then switch it up and deliver something more explicitly sexual on “For Me.” He also channels the spirit of Trill Entertainment with striking ease on the album’s standout cut “Webbie Flow,” and even leans into humor on “BBL,” a playful ode to big backsides.
At 21 tracks, the album is clearly too long. A few songs could have been trimmed, especially the more predictable ones, like the expected downbeat track, the underwhelming “Self Depression.” Dingers isn’t quite what its title promises – not a full-on home run. But Big Yavo is, more often than not, lively and engaging: animated, slightly chaotic, and full of personality. And that’s more than enough to keep this rough, well-worn strain of Southern rap alive for another year.
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